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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27838306">A Guide To Stopping A Terrible Future: Philosopher's Stone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallieR/pseuds/CallieR'>CallieR</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Guide To Stopping A Terrible Future [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Reading the Books, Some Humor, Spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:40:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27838306</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallieR/pseuds/CallieR</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When seven books appear suddenly in Lily Evans' room, the lives of eight teenagers and some of the Hogwarts staff are changed forever.<br/><br/>Together they read about their future, have laughs at the expense of poor Quirrel, and cry  as they realize just how tragic their future is.<br/><br/>But through it all, they are determined to read the book and figure out how to stop their terrible future.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Minerva McGonagall &amp; James Potter, Sirius Black &amp; Remus Lupin &amp; Peter Pettigrew &amp; James Potter, Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Guide To Stopping A Terrible Future [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Let's read the books that randomly appeared in Lily's room!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Um.. Hello. This is my first fic ever so there are bound to be many mistakes. Feel free to give constructive criticism if you feel like the characters are OOC or if I'm remembering canon wrong or simply because you think I could do better because I really want to. Other than that I hope you enjoy this little fic that I'm writing!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Um... Hello. This is my first ever fic so there are bound to be many mistakes. Feel free to give me constructive criticism if you feel like the characters are OOC or if I'm remembering canon wrong or simply because you think I could do better because I really want to. Other than that I hope you enjoy this little fic that I'm writing!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Lily Evans woke up one December morning she hadn't expected to find books about a boy's life in her room and certainly hadn't expected that boy to be a relative of James Potter and yet that was what had happened. </p><p> </p><p>Her head was swimming with thoughts as looked at the seven books. Was this Harry Potter really that famous that he got his whole life written down? And how had Potter never mentioned him? There was no way that Potter wouldn't brag about one of his family members if they had books written after them. But most importantly the books had been found in her room and she could swear that they weren't there last night. How had they appeared? Had someone put them in her room while she was sleeping?</p><p> </p><p>' I don't know how they got up the stairs but this must be one of their pranks.', Lily thought as she exited her room and went down the stairs to find the marauders and Emma. She found them near the fire. As usual, James was playing with his annoying snitch, Peter was observing James, Remus was reading another book and Sirius and Emma were cuddling on an armchair. She wasn't surprised to see Emma here even though Emma was a Ravenclaw because Sirius usually told her the password to get into the Gryffindor common room. It was easier than Sirius trying to get into the Ravenclaw common room, not that he hadn't secretly tried and failed many times.</p><p> </p><p>She coughed to make her presence known but she didn't have to. James was already looking at her with surprise and delight on his face, Remus and Peter had noticed James's sudden behavior change and had looked up at her and Emma spoke up as soon as she saw her. "Hey, Lils. How are you? Did you need something?"</p><p> </p><p>"I was fine, Em, until I found books about James here's relative." That finally got James's attention after he had been slightly staring at Lily as if he couldn't believe that she had come to them on her own violation. He looked up at her in amazement and said, "There are books about my relative?" Lily nodded and said, "Yeah. I found them in my room. I thought you would know something about it Potter or that maybe this was your idea of a joke."</p><p> </p><p>James shook his head and said as if he was talking to a five-year-old, "Now Lily flower, if I had done it why would I have put my name on it? That's like playing a prank on McGonagall and then going up to her and admitting it. You just don't do that."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah well then, who's Harry Potter, James?" "Harry Potter? I have no idea who he is. Well I guess there is my granddad Henry who they called Harry but I'm pretty sure there weren't any books written about him." said James shaking his head in confusion. "Well then who is he?", said Emma as she finally got off Sirius's lap (Sirius protested) and stood up. "That's what I want to know. And how did they appear in my room?" said Lily now a little worried. </p><p> </p><p>She had thought for sure that it must be James's doing and not only was she wrong about that, but James also didn't even know who Harry Potter was. Fortunately Remus, ever the calm head, spoke up before they could panic too much. "Perhaps we should talk to Professor Dumbledore or McGonagall about the books before we start making assumptions."</p><p> </p><p>Sirius then put in his two cents saying, "Yeah but they're just books moony. We don't even know if they're dangerous. Do we need to call the headmaster and head of the house over this?" "Yeah, Sirius could be right. These books might end up meaning nothing at all," said Peter finally speaking. "But they might also be extremely dangerous." Emma argued.</p><p> </p><p>"Lily, did you check inside the books for any messages or something about what is written." James said hoping to find out who this mysterious Potter was. Lily shook her head and said, "No. I thought there might be a nasty surprise waiting for me in there from you." "Maybe we could perform a few safety charms and then see inside. If it's something really dangerous we'll tell Dumbledore. If it's not then no harm done, I mean he is James's relative. I would say we have a right", said Sirius, his curiosity now peaked. He quite liked the potters actually and wanted to see how this one was.</p><p> </p><p>"But if it is dangerous-", Remus started."If it's dangerous then we'll send it right away to the headmaster.", said Emma firmly, nodding at her boyfriend's words. She too was curious about this Harry Potter. "Then it's settled. We'll read the book first and if we find anything dangerous then we'll contact Dumbledore.", said James. Remus and Lily were still harboring some doubts but nonetheless agreed.</p><p> </p><p>Then just as James was about to start with all the dark spell detection charms he knew, Lily stopped him."Are we sure we want to do this here?", she said looking around at all the Gryffindors that were present in the common room. It was the Christmas holidays so thankfully there weren't as many as usual and those who were there hadn't paid any attention to them till now, but if they started performing spells on books, then there would surely be questions.</p><p> </p><p>"Um... maybe not", said James putting down his wand. "Perhaps we should do this somewhere else. A more secretive place.", said Lily trying to think of any. The marauders grinned at that. They had many of those but which one would be most suited for this? They couldn't do the shrieking shack obviously but where else would they be left alone in silence and comfort to read these many books?</p><p> </p><p>Remus, thank god for him, then had the perfect solution. "Guys, what about that room? You know the one that will give you whatever you need. We could do this in there." While Lily and Emma were still confused, the marauders slowly grinned again. That was perfect! They would get everything they needed and no one would know. Lily, however, was still confused. Which room were they talking about? And what did they mean 'give you whatever you need'? A room can't do that right?</p><p> </p><p>Peter must have noticed her confusion and said, "There's this room on the seventh floor that only appears when you need it and gives you whatever you need at that moment. We found it recently when we were running from Filch and were about to get caught when it's doors appeared and we barged inside. It was just a small room then with a bottle of water for us. When we went back later to check it, it was much larger with sofas and snacks. We figured that it changed with the user's need. If you needed a place to sleep, you would find a bed. If you needed to hide, it would give you a place to hide in. And if you needed a place to read books without being disturbed, then it would give you just that."</p><p> </p><p>Lily was more than a little surprised. There was a room like that in Hogwarts? How did everyone not know about it? It could be of so much use to so many people, including to them right now. She nodded and the six of them were just out of the common room when Alice and Frank suddenly spotted them and came their way. "Hey, guys. Where are you all going? And Lily I'm a little surprised to find you with these four, even if Emma is there too.", said Alice, a little surprised to see Lily and James together and not fighting.</p><p> </p><p>Lily shrugged easily and said, "We were just going out. And about hanging out with these four..." Lily looked at them for confirmation to tell Alice and Frank. Personally, she wanted to. I mean it was just Alice and Frank, they could be trusted. But she still wanted the others to agree as well. She saw them nod and quickly explained to Alice and Frank the business with the books.</p><p> </p><p>Alice and Frank were also very interested in reading the book and asked to come with them. Lily agreed and said, "But remember anything dangerous and we're done with the book immediately. Okay?" They nodded and the, now eight, of them walked towards to room.</p><p> </p><p>Upon entering they found a large and comfortable room with sofas and chairs for them to sit in. There was also an assortment of food on a table. They also found a door that led to a few rooms and bathrooms. After settling in, James performed all the necessary charms, and finding none, he picked up the first book and said out loud, "Okay, this one is called <b>' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'</b> and I'm assuming it's the first one out the seven." </p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>At that, both Remus and Lily looked at each other. They were sure that they had heard about a Philosopher's Stone before but what did Harry Potter have to do with it? But before they could ponder that any further James had already begun.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"The Boy Who Lived"</b>, read James.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ugh.. I can't say I'm totally pleased with how this chapter turned out but this was mostly set up anyway so I hope you like the next chapter better. Also if it feels like peter isn't fitting in and seems to have an odd place in this chapter, then it's because he wasn't there at all in the original draft and I only added him in later but I still liked what I'd put in originally so I really didn't want to change it much. So yeah I'm a little frustrated with peter this chapter but whatever. Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Boy Who Lived or The teenagers who found out they were going to die</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nothing prepares the eight in the room for the roller coaster of emotions they go through while reading this chapter. In the first chapter, they find out how lord Voldemort died and just how much their lives have changed in 4 years</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So here's the second chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it cause I spent a lot of time on it. Also, a lot of revelations are made in this chapter so I apologize if sometimes there are multiple paragraphs to read. I got really carried away writing about their grief and pain.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <b>"The Boy Who Lived"</b>, read James.</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"The boy who lived? What's so special about that? I'm the boy who lived as well", said Sirius expressing everyone's confusion at the peculiar heading.</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe we can find out if you don't interrupt him after he read the title, idiot", said Emma, slapping the back of his head.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mr and Mrs Dursley,<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Who? And why are we talking about them if this is supposed to be about Harry?",said Emma this time, much to the incredulity of Sirius.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't know, but they must be important if we are starting with them."said Remus shrugging.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>number four, Privet Drive, were perfectly normal, thank you very much.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"They're muggles for sure.", Lily said, listening to that line. No witch or wizard would say something like that.</p><p> </p><p>"Do people honestly want that? To be normal and all?", said Emma, staring at the wall and wondering if that was how she would feel if she was just a muggle.</p><p> </p><p>"I guess. But honestly they're missing out. Who would want to be normal when they could be like me?", said Sirius with a smirk. </p><p> </p><p>"Don't worry Pads, no one wants to be like you." said Remus. Everyone laughed at Sirius's indignant expression.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Too bad. You could probably do with some strange and mysterious." said Sirius shaking his head. He already didn't like these dursleys, just by the first two lines itself.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry why are people like this related to my relative's story?" said James also not liking what he heard about this family.</p><p> </p><p>"Well maybe if you all stopped interrupting we would find out.", said Lily losing her patience with the boys.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.</b>
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</p><p> </p><p>James wanted to ask what drills were but kept quiet after seeing Lily's face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>Lily smiled a little at Mrs. Dursley's description. That sounded a lot like petunia although she would never actually say that out loud.</p><p> </p><p>"Flattering descriptions. They sound like real nice people.", said Peter. Sirius snorted at that.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Oh no did you run a red light once? How truly horrifying.", said Remus demonstrating why he was a marauder as well.</p><p> </p><p>Again everyone laughed at the expense of the Dursleys.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"And why not? I dare say that the only good thing about you all is that you know some potters.", snapped James, his previous good mood gone at the insult to his family.</p><p> </p><p>"Relax James. They probably mean the statue of secrecy. You don't want everyone to know about the magical world do you?", said Frank, trying to appease everyone although he too was a little angry at the most likely insult. James was a good friend of his and he had even met James's parents once and they had been very nice to him. He couldn't see why it was unbearable to be related to the potters in any way.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Not a word.", snapped Emma. There was no denying now that for some stupid reason these dursleys hated the potters. And even though they knew nothing about the sister and brother in law of Mrs. Dursley, they were more inclined to support the potters considering that there was a Potter in the room right now and that the Dursleys had not made themselves popular to anyone in the room.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.</b>
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  <b>When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.<b></b></b>
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  <b>At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"The kid sounds like a delight.", said Alice, wrinkling her nose. She usually loved children but even she wasn't feeling very nice towards Dudley after hearing about this family insulting a kid who they didn't even know, regardless of their feelings towards his parents.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.</b>
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  <b>It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat reading a map. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"What? That's not normal."</p><p> </p><p>"Is it an animagus maybe? But why would we be observing them?", said Emma, pitying the person who'd be given that job.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't know, but it's probably connected to them knowing the Potters.", said Lily.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Definitely an animagus.", said Peter.</p><p> </p><p> <b>-- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. <b></b></b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"A little obvious don't you think?, said Sirius, rolling his eyes at dursley's stupidity. He wished that they would hurry up and get to Harry already.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.</b>
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  <b>But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Muggles don't wear cloaks.", explained Emma, after seeing the looks of confusion on James and Frank's face.</p><p> </p><p>"But we shouldn't be out and about like this when muggles can see us! I can't remember us ever behaving this way before.", said Alice worried about people breaking the statue of secrecy.</p><p> </p><p>"Well are we sure that this is happening in our past?", said Frank finally expressing the doubts that had plagued his mind since they had started this reading.</p><p> </p><p>"What do you mean? Of course we're sure. There's no way that we're reading books from the future.", said Lily with a forced chuckle. Yes there hadn't been any date on the books to say when this was taking place, and James didn't seem to know who Harry was, but she couldn't bear to think that books from the future had randomly appeared in her room. It honestly scared her.</p><p> </p><p>"But James doesn't know who Harry is," Frank said, unknowingly repeating Lily's thoughts,"nor does he know any dursleys right now. And there are rumors that the ministry are trying to figure out time travel. What if this is connected to that?"</p><p> </p><p>"But if it is from the future then that opens up many possibilities doesn't it? I mean from how many years in the future is this?", said James now very interested. This Harry could be his son or his grandson or his great grandson-</p><p> </p><p>"James," said Remus interrupting James's train of thoughts, "we still haven't confirmed if these books are from the future.", he finished as if he had known what James was thinking.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah but there's a pretty good chance that they are." said Peter, now a little scared but also excited about what these books might reveal about the future.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes -- the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt -- these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"One track mind this one." said Sirius, although his heart wasn't in the mild, not even an insult really. He was far more interested in this future that they were reading about and was dying to see how Harry was related to prongs and, in the same vein, him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"I don't know what's going on in the magical world in the future but we really should be more careful." said Emma, appalled at the way they were so openly using owls.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"I can't know for sure but I think his favorite pastime is shouting at people." said Peter with the air of someone who was thinking very hard about an answer.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.</b>
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  <b>He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.<b></b></b>
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  <b>"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard--"</b>
</p><p>
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  <b>"-- yes, their son, Harry--"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"So now we know for sure that Harry Potter is the dursley's nephew." Lily said, eyeing James. Even though she didn't want to admit it she was also starting to believe that this was the future and if it was, then Harry was probably James's son considering that this didn't sound much different from how muggle Landon was right now. </p><p> </p><p>She was probably one of the only ones who had come to this conclusion though. After her, Emma was the only muggleborn in the room and she knew that even the half bloods didn't tend to go to muggle places. </p><p> </p><p>She had also realized that the Mrs. Potter was also a muggleborn seeing as how her sister was not only a muggle but seemed to hate anything to do with magic, something she shares with her husband thought Lily with some dislike. Her heart really went out to the poor dear who ended up marrying Potter and also had those people as relatives.</p><p> </p><p>It didn't seem to dawn on any of the poor, unsuspecting teenagers to ask why the potters and their son were being talked about.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.</b>
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  <b>He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"As per usual." said Alice joining the 'make fun of dursley' group.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone chuckled at that.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"How could you not know your nephew's name?" cried Emma. It was becoming more and more obvious that the dursleys were horrible people but she didn't think they would be this horrible!</p><p> </p><p>"Are you surprised?" said Sirius nastily, "They ignore their own sister. Why would they pay attention their nephew?" but he suddenly flushed. He also ignored a sibling's existence, so did that make him as bad as the dursleys then? </p><p> </p><p>No, he shook his head, the only reason I pretend to not know regulas is because he's always involved with the death eater gang. If he would just leave them and come the light side.. and if he had a son Sirius would at least know his name. No of course he wasn't as bad as the dursleys, he assured himself. </p><p> </p><p>Still not being able to shake off the feeling of guilt though, he decided to pay attention to the book.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Harold Potter? No thanks. I like Harry better." Lily said slightly heated. Potter's relative or not, no one deserved to be treated this way by their family. And unbidden, a thought appeared in her head, of another boy with a horrible family... no, she shook her head, Harry's situation is not like Severus'. He'll grow up with still loving parents and won't be a prat who insulted even his best friends.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her -- if he'd had a sister like that...<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Hey," snapped James, "don't talk about my wi- my relative that way." he finished with a blush. He was mostly sure that this Harry was his son now. He didn't really have any concrete reason to think that but he just had a feeling.</p><p> </p><p>And even if he hadn't met or really spoken to his future wife yet, he still felt a feeling of protectiveness and sadness for his future wife, that this was her family.</p><p> </p><p>Still, James thought, thinking of a particular someone, she must really be someone to get my mind of Lily. He felt a little sad that he would really never get the girl that he had fallen in love with the minute he had seen her comforting another first year muggleborn who was feeling home sick even though she was just as far from home, but also felt encouraged at the thought that he would be able to move on from Lily. </p><p> </p><p>As for Lily, she was surprised that Potter was so readily defending someone he didn't even know. Of course she had seen how ready he was whenever he had to defend his friends but didn't think it extended to anyone in general.</p><p> </p><p>The idea that James Potter wasn't completely an arrogant toe rag but was also capable of being an unconditionally nice person was new to Lily, but she had to admit, not unpleasant.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>but all the same, those people in cloaks...</b>
</p><p>
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  <b>He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Finally!" Sirius said, as if something great had just happened, "his mind is off the bloody drills."</p><p> </p><p>Alice was confused at the randomness of the sentence while the rest of them just rolled their eyes, long used to the eccentricities of their house mate and friend. Only Emma seemed to find this funny, chuckling at the joke. This was enough for Sirius who beamed at his girlfriend.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.</b>
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  <b>"Sorry," he grunted,<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Surprised he knew the word." Remus said dryly</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"What?"</p><p> </p><p>"You-Know-Who's gone!"</p><p> </p><p>"We won! We won!"</p><p> </p><p>There was a minor explosion of sorts in the room of requirement at the last sentence, as suddenly everyone was standing and shouting and clapping. They couldn't believe that the man who had tortured the wizarding world for the past 7 years was finally gone!</p><p> </p><p> Of course they realized that this was the future and that he wasn't gone yet but even the idea that his defeat was possible, that they could win, was exhilarating. It took quite some time for them to settle down after that surprising announcement but they all realized that they still had to read the books.</p><p> </p><p>"I bet it was Dumbledore who finished the job." said Sirius, finally sitting down on the couch he shared with Emma after having run around the room with James screaming about You-Know-Who getting his due.</p><p> </p><p>"Who else Sirius?" said Emma, rolling her eyes, all the while smiling. She didn't think anything could get her mood down right now.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"</b>
</p><p>
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  <b>And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.<b></b></b>
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  <b>Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"I- he- what? How can someone not approve of imagination?!" said Sirius, taking this as a personal offense because imagination was crucial for a good prankster.</p><p> </p><p>"Dursley just has a way of proving the worst things a person can do, possible pads." James said with a small scowl. He couldn't believe that this was what he had for in laws.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw -- and it didn't improve his mood -- was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.</b>
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  <b>"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.<b></b></b>
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  <b>The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"You know who this behavior reminds me of prongs?"</p><p> </p><p>"No, who pads?"</p><p> </p><p>"Dear old Minnie. Wouldn't it be crazy if the cat turns into McGonagall?" Sirius said grinning.</p><p> </p><p>"That would definitely be something." James said chuckling. He was certain that if that cat turned out to be McGonagall then she would have some choice words about the dursleys. And James knew firsthand how funny Minnie could be while insulting someone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.</b>
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  <b>Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!"). Mr. Dursley tried to act normally.</b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"So like a giant, stupid walrus then." said Emma in an offhand way.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:</b>
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  <b>"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"We're being extremely obvious now aren't we?" said Remus, but not in an accusatory way. He now realized that the magical population was probably celebrating You-Know-Who's defeat and honestly couldn't blame them.</p><p> </p><p>"Can you blame them?" said Peter grinning at the remainder of He-who-must-not-be-named's defeat.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The newscaster allowed himself a grin.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Who wants to bet that this guy is one of us?" said Sirius, raising an eyebrow at this small but significant gesture.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"</b>
</p><p>
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  <b>"Well, Ted," <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Hey I was right! And I even know who the guy is."</p><p> </p><p>"Wasn't Ted the hufflepuff a few years above us who married your cousin padfoot?" said Remus.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah. Knew there was a reason why I liked him." Sirius said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early -- it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."</b>
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  <b>Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...</b>
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  <b>Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Does this man have any guts? She's your wife for gods sake! And you can't even talk to her with suffering a nervous breakdown." Alice said in a waspish voice.</p><p> </p><p>"Definitely wouldn't be a gryfinndor if heaven forbid he was a wizard." James said shaking his head.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> "Er -- Petunia,<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"What? I- there's no way that's true. It can't be." said Lily suddenly, seeming quite mad to everyone except Emma and Alice.</p><p> </p><p>"Um, Evans? Anything you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" Sirius finally asked, getting fed up with her insane mutterings that didn't make any sense.</p><p> </p><p>"My.. my sister's name is Petunia as well." Lily said in quiet voice, not ready to see their reactions.</p><p> </p><p>This time, instead of a big explosion, there was only stupefied silence. Frank kept looking in between James and Lily as if he had never seen them before. As far as he knew, James was still behind Lily while Lily firmly insisted that she would never go out with someone like him. When had that changed? And how? </p><p> </p><p>Two questions that were going through everyone's head right now. Emma and Alice just stared at Lily at the confirmation. They had known that Lily's sister's name was Petunia, but they had thought for a second that they had made a mistake. Apparently not.</p><p> </p><p>Out of everyone though the people most looking surprised were the marauders. Peter had face of complete shock. Remus had disbelief written all over his face, as if he couldn't believe what had come out of Lily's mouth and Sirius's jaw kept opening and closing, as if wanted to say something but couldn't.</p><p> </p><p>And James... James seemed to have gone into shock. He wasn't saying a word, just staring at Lily, then at the book, then back at Lily. That went on for 10 minutes until finally he opened his mouth and said, "I'm sorry that your sister's like that. No one deserves that kind of pain from their own family. And I know you won't believe it but I want you to know that your future isn't completely horrible, and that I'll try to make you the happiest lady ever. And I already know that our son's going to be a great guy because he has you as a mother."</p><p> </p><p>Lily stared at him with wide eyes as he talked.. and smiled a watery smile at him when he finished. "Thanks.. James." she said in a sincere tone.</p><p> </p><p>Honestly she hadn't even began to think about the fact this meant that the sister the dursleys hated so much was her. That in the future Petunia would hate her so much that she would pretend that Lily didn't even exist. Not only that, but she would also hate Lily's husband and son just by association. The news that she would marry James had driven all that completely from her mind.</p><p> </p><p>But James had thought about that. Thought about that and felt bad on her behalf. Had thought about Lily's future before she herself had. She had always thought that James' liking towards her was superficial. That she was interesting to him only because she posed a challenge. </p><p> </p><p>But this.. this seemed like so much more. Was there really a possibility that she could fall in love with him? Had her future self realized all this as well and was that the reason she had finally agreed to go out with him? </p><p> </p><p>She couldn't possibly know right now. But, she thought as she looked over to James who was having a whispered conversation with Black, I'm not entirely opposed to finding out.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>dear -- you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"</b>
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  <b>As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>All the hope and future thoughts drained out of Lily as she remembered what he future with her sister that she loved so much looked like.</p><p> </p><p>"Well I think that's a bloody waste. Who in their right mind would pretend like Lily didn't exist?" said Emma, even more angrily then before, now that it was revealed who 'the sister' was.</p><p> </p><p>"We all knew that these people aren't in their right minds anyway Emma."  James said, just as angry. He was ready to say more but he faltered when Lily just shook head and tipped her head towards him. A clear thank you but you don't need to. He nodded at her.</p><p> </p><p>"Does anyone else feel like something in the room just changed in the past 10 minutes?" said Sirius, having noticed that little interaction.</p><p> </p><p>"Same." Remus said, amazed at how quickly Lily and James went from enemies to friends.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"No," she said sharply. "Why?"</b>
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  <b>"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."</b>
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  <b>"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.</b>
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  <b>"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know... her crowd.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Oh look he does have some brain cells in there. Do you want a cookie man?" snapped Alice. She could see how much this was hurting Lily and hated it. They didn't deserve someone like her as family but unfortunately the world just wasn't fair.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son -- he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"So a year or less then?" said Lily determined to ignore all the stuff that her sister said about her and instead focus on her future son, who she already was excited to hear more about.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah most probably," said Frank just happy to see Lily smiling again instead of looking down. It was impossible to not want Lily to be happy again when she was sad. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.</b>
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  <b>"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"</b>
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  <b>"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>“Good thing no one did then." James said heatedly. He was just about done with the dursleys after they insulted him, his family, Lily and now his son. Oh how he wished he could meet them right now and teach them a lesson in how to treat family because they obviously didn't learn that one.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."</b>
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  <b>He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.</b>
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  <b>Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of -- well, he didn't think he could bear it.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"I can't either. I'd rather be related to snivellus than you" said James again. </p><p> </p><p>But this was not the right thing to say at the moment. Lily suddenly turned to him and snapped, "Don't call him that. And don't mention him again." James quickly nodded. He knew that they'd had a falling out (and he couldn't blame Lily at all), but he hadn't realized that it was so bad.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley.<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Thank god for that" Remus said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"I can't imagine that I'd take that lying down" said James frowning.</p><p> </p><p>"I probably had to force you not to do something." Lily responded. After all she wouldn't want to do anything that would make her sister's dislike for her and all magical beings grow. It was all for not though, she could see now.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on -- he yawned and turned over -- it couldn't affect them...</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>How very wrong he was.<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"What? What the hell does that mean?" cried Emma, dreading to have to hear more about the dursleys.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't know, but I'm sure I won't like it." Sirius responded with a scowl that made him look remarkably like his cousin bellatrix. Not that you should ever tell him that.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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    <b></b>
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</p><p>
  <b>
    <b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Now that's called commitment to the job." Alice said, raising an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Finally! Someone we know and like in this story." Remus said grinning, as heard about their beloved headmaster's entrance.</p><p> </p><p>"He hasn't changed much has he? In the future?" said Peter also smiling now that the focus was shifted from those horrible dursleys to Dumbledore.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. <b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Oh he probably did know," Sirius said chuckling, "but he probably didn't care."</p><p> </p><p>Everyone laughed. Finally the bad mood that had come about due to the unpleasant dursleys seemed to have lifted. Everyone was smiling, perhaps their first true smile since they had started to read.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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  <b>He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again -- the next lamp flickered into darkness. <b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Wow. Do you think he's invented that yet?" Frank said in awe.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't know. And it would be crazy if I asked him about him right? Right?" said James, already thinking about what all he could do with something like that, in true prankster fashion.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Yes! I was right. Pay up" said Sirius excitedly.</p><p> </p><p>"You didn't bet with anyone though Sirius." Emma said to her boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p>"Aw man." Sirius deflated instantly as he cursed his past self.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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    <b></b>
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</p><p>
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    <b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Another one who hasn't changed in the future." James said chuckling at the accurate description of his favorite professor. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"How did you know it was me?" she asked.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Then why were you sitting?" Alice said, now a little confused as though why Professor McGonagall had been observing the dursleys the whole day instead of celebrating You-Know-Who's demise.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.</b>
</p><p>
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  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Oh yes, I've celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no -- even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent -- I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."<b></b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe not, but he sure sounds like fun" said Sirius laughing at that.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."<b></b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b></b>
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</p><p>
  <b>
    <b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Eleven years? Then that puts the book some 4 years from now." said Emma, quickly doing the calculations in her head.</p><p> </p><p>"So I have a child 2 years or less after getting out of hogwarts? That's...fast." Lily said.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah but there's a war going on. You don't really have time to wait do you?" Alice reminded her. </p><p> </p><p>"That's true I guess. Never thought of it like that." said Lily. She still couldn't believe that she'd actually be ready to marry and have a child with James in 4 years though.</p><p> </p><p>"Anyways, now we have a set time when You-Know-Who's going to die! And it's just 4 years from now." cheered Sirius.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on.<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"What rumors? Also if there was some epic battle between Dumbledore and You-Know-Who then why does he sound so.. normal?" Alice said, suddenly suspicious as to how exactly you-know-who had been dealt with.</p><p> </p><p>"Well he is Dumbledore. It would be like him to vanquish a dark lord one day and go back to being headmaster the next." Frank said, shrugging. Although he too was curious about you-know-who's death.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore.<b></b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"See! If dumbledore had finally defeated he who must not be named then why is anyone doubting it?" Alice cried.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone was now looking very curious indeed. Who was powerful enough to finish you know who if it wasn't Albus Dumbeldore, the only one he feared?</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"A what?" Frank said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"A what?"</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Professor you never think it's the moment for any sweet" cried James.</p><p> </p><p>"Just because she didn't accept your chocolate frogs for Christmas." Sirius snickered as James glared at him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone--"</b>
</p><p>
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  <b>"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense -- for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort."</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>James flinched while saying the last word and instantly felt ashamed of himself. He was a gryfinndor for godric's sake! He should be able to say a name. He resolved to say Voldemort in the future without flinching even a little like he just did.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Of course dumbledore wouldn't" Peter said rolling his eyes. Dumbledore was a great man for sure, but he would never understand how the powerless feel. And as he looked around the room, Peter realized suddenly, neither did the rest of them. They were all powerful wizards and witches to some degree, except him. So how could he possibly hope to survive the coming war? He had a feeling that he wouldn't like some of the answers.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"I know you haven't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
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  <b>"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Only because he's too noble to use them." Lily said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Only because you're too -- well -- noble to use them."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Too much information professor" groaned Sirius. Everyone agreed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>Everyone subconsciously leaned forward in their seats at that. Would they finally found out what happened?</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. <b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>Everyone looked at each other uneasily at that. What was so outlandish that McGonagall had to hear it from Dumbledore himself to believe it?</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.</b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"No. No no no no. This can't be happening. Why did he come after us?" said James, white as a sheet, looking at Lily, who seemed ready to pass out.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't- I don't know James. I just.. don't know" said Lily, her eyes closed as she heard about her future. She desperately wondered what they had done to incur you know who's wrath and wished that there was some way to avoid their surely disastrous endings.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are -- are -- that they're -- dead."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>That did it.</p><p> </p><p>Everything that lily had been holding in since she found out that Mrs Dursley was Petunia, every flinch that she had tried to hide from the rest of the room at every insult to her and her family, came pouring out of her in the form of heartbreaking sobs.</p><p> </p><p>Her son, her 1 year old son was going to die. So was her husband and so was she. At 20 with their whole life ahead of them. She couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it..</p><p> </p><p>James looked at lily sobbing her heart out and knew what he was supposed to do. He knew he was supposed to go and comfort her. Or maybe go to the marauders and let them see that he was still alive because they looked like he had just died in front of them. Or basically do anything other than what he was doing right now, which was nothing.</p><p> </p><p>But as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't. Couldn't move after that surprising declaration. All he could think about was that he would get maybe 3 years or less with lily. Not enough time. He would only be with the marauders for 10 years. Not for the rest of their lives like they had promised each other. And Harry.. Merlin he would only have 1 year with his already precious son. He couldn't deal with the unfairness of it all. Had he been a prat sometimes in his life? Yes. But did he really deserve to die at the age of 20 with his wife and child? And god even if he did accept that he deserved it, Lily and Harry didn't. So why the hell were they dying with him? He didn't know when he had started crying during his angry rant at the world, but suddenly he felt tear drops on his hands.</p><p> </p><p>And as he looked around the room he could see that everyone else was crying as well. Alice was crying quietly into Frank's shoulder, while Frank looked like he was trying to be strong for everyone else but even he had let a few tears slip. </p><p> </p><p>Something deep inside James pained intensely at the sight of his friends, his brothers. Peter was absolutely bawling, he knew how much Peter hated loosing things he cared about. Peter would lose him forever. Remus didn't seem to know he was crying at all, he was just staring at James as if he'd disappear if he turned. James knew how tough it was for Remus to open up to people, how much time it had taken to get him to be James and Sirius' friend, and how much Remus appreciated his friends because he'd never had some before. And Sirius.. Sirius was probably the worst of them all after Lily and James. </p><p> </p><p>Sirius wasn't crying. Just staring at the wall with the kind of intensity and vulnerability that James had only seen twice before from him. The night that Sirius had turned up at his house, shaking and looking the opposite of how he usually was. And that horrific night when Sirius had made that stupid mistake and sent snivellus to Remus. It was the kind of look that made him seem so so much more human then he usually showed himself to be. Too human. It was raw and sad and James never wanted to see that look again, much less thrice in 2 years. </p><p> </p><p>Luckily this time he had Emma as well who, James saw, was alternating between comforting Sirius and coaxing him to talk to her, and rubbing Lily's back as her sobs gradually lessened. He felt a rush of affection for the girl that he had come to see as a close friend, as he saw her look up at him and nod fiercely even with the tears streaming down her face. Her message was clear: we're not letting this happen this time. He just nodded back, unable to speak as he saw just how much the people he cared about cared about him and his family.</p><p> </p><p>When everyone finally calmed down a bit, James started reading again in a slightly shaky voice.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."<b></b></b>
</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Didn't know she cared" said James, trying to crack a joke and failing.</p><p> </p><p>"You know very well that she does. I'm pretty sure you're her favorite student." Frank responded, knowing what James was trying to do and trying to help.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know... " he said heavily.</b>
</p><p>
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  <b>Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Merlin wasn't that enough?" groaned Sirius in a muffled voice, his face now buried in Emma's hair.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"What? But he's you know who! And he wasn't able to kill Harry?" Lily said, hardly daring to hope for a second that everything hadn't gone to hell. </p><p> </p><p>"I don't know but I'm bloody glad he couldn't!" said James, slowly grinning again. He was still heartbroken about the fact that Lily and he wouldn't get to see their child grow up but at least Harry would grow up. He wouldn't die at the age of 1.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke -- and that's why he's gone."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"That makes no sense though!" Alice burst out. She was glad that he who must not be named was gone, and she was happy that at least the littlest Potter survived even if his parents didn't, but how the hell had that even worked?</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah there's definitely something else at play here" said Frank also suspiciously. </p><p> </p><p>The rest of students understood where they were coming from and were confused as well as to what had actually happened, but were too delirious with happiness about Harry surviving to care much right now.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Dumbledore nodded glumly.</b>
</p><p>
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  <b>"It's -- it's true ?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Exactly my question." Frank said with narrowed eyes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Who wants to bet that Dumbledore has a pretty good guess?" Sirius said rolling his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>No one took the bet and Sirius huffed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"She's definitely taking this hard" James observed, "Wow she must really like you Lily." he finished in a slightly dumbfounded voice that his professor was actually showing some emotion other than sternness and annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy. "You're kidding right?" Lily said with a raised eyebrow. James just shook his head. Everyone collectively rolled their eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"Setting aside the fact that she was obviously taking this really hard because you, her favorite student, had just died, she also just lost two students that she had taught before who had even been in her house. Also the whole story is just really sad" finished Alice with a sour look on her face at the end.</p><p> </p><p>James didn't seem to have even registered the second part of the sentence, or perhaps he was just ignoring it, as he sat in his seat smiling fondly as he thought about his head of house. She had always been his favorite teacher, not least because she was one of the few who could truly stop him and his merry band, but also because she reminded James a little of his own mother and after having grown quite us to his mother's presence for the first 11 years of his life, he had definitely needed some kind of a mother figure at hogwarts. </p><p> </p><p> And McGonagall had stepped up and become that, all the while giving him detention for playing pranks, smiling a small smile at him whenever he perfected his transfiguration spell faster than anyone else and taking off the slightest bit of homework just before an important match. His smile vanished again though, just like all of them had in the past 30 minutes, when he realized that the woman he had come to see as a great source of comfort at any time would be mourning his death just as badly as he would ever mourn hers.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Oh I guess we were wrong about that." Emma said absentmindedly. So much had been found out since they'd made that theory that no one even cared that they were wrong about that.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Wait, so if Minnie wasn't here to I guess protect the dursleys from some rogue death eaters then why are they there?" Remus said in a bemused tone, not even noticing that he'd called McGonagall by Sirius and James' nickname.</p><p> </p><p>"I hope it's simply to give them a right scare" muttered Peter bitterly.</p><p> </p><p>"Or well.. Lily was Petunia' sister. He might've wanted to give the news...personally." Alice finished awkwardly, once again being the one who had to bring up the awful news that no one wanted to think about.</p><p> </p><p>"McGonagall was there for a whole day though," Lily said, trying to speak even with the lump in her throat at the mention of her future death, "I don't see why she couldn't tell them herself. And even if she was waiting for Dumbledore, he overshot the timing a little bit over there didn't he?"</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe he was held up by something," James cut in when it seemed like even Emma was joining the discussion. Honestly he just wanted to be done with this chapter already. He also did not want to dwell on the fact that Dumbledore might've been held up by his and Lily's parents who would surely be devastated. Swallowing his own lump in his throat, he continued.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"He what?! No way is my baby going to live with those vile creatures." Lily spat and it was only at shock that she had said that about her own sister and sister's family that prevented an all out explosion right there.</p><p> </p><p>"Right you are Lily. What's he thinking, sending Harry to the dursleys of all people?" James demanded furiously, seriously believing that Dumbledore was off his rockers in the future.</p><p> </p><p>"To be fair he probably doesn't know as much as we do about the dursleys," Sirius grudgingly admitted, "although why he wouldn't come to one of us first is a real question. I'm sure you would make one of us godfathers so harry rightfully should come to us. Or hell even if there was no time with a war going on and all to appoint a godparent, shouldn't the Potter still take priority though over the dursleys? Them being magical and not stupid idiots. I suppose they could say that uncle and aunt are too old but that's never stoped them before..." Sirius trailed off at the end of that sentence, a look of absolute horror downing on his face that James did not appreciate one bit.</p><p> </p><p>"Pads?" James snapped after he was silent too long, not in the mood for theatrics.</p><p> </p><p>"Prongs you know as well I do that if anything ever happened to you, your parents would be the first people there. And if they found Harry then there was no way they'd let their grandson go to some people they'd probably never heard good things about. But Dumbledore's still speaking as if he controls where Harry goes and you heard what he said, the dursleys are Harry's only family left. Why the hell would Dumbledore give Harry to the dursleys if uncle and aunt were right there?" Sirius finished with tears in his eyes at the thought of the couple he thought of more as parents then his own parents, dying.</p><p> </p><p>"No.. no, no Sirius that's not possible," James could not take this as well, after everything that he dad learned today.." dad and mom, they're tough ok? They'll survive. They have to. Harry- harry needs his grandparents at least." James said pleadingly, as if any of them could do anything about the future, they all thought quite bitterly.</p><p> </p><p>""Wait even if James' parents are.. unavailable" Lily threw an apologetic glance at James for bringing this up so soon but he didn't seem to be listening,"Petunia still isn't the go to option. My parents could take care of Harry!" she finished hopefully which quickly turned to sorrow as Sirius turned his mournful gaze to her. There was only one meaning of the sentence "only family left" and it didn't bode well for either set of grandparents.</p><p> </p><p>The others had absolutely no heart to read more after this news broke. Just how more pain could James and Lily take in this room, listening the future? They all thought as they saw them tear up again for the probably the umpteenth time in less than an hour. The future seemed abysmal to them all no matter how you looked at it. Yes, you know who was gone but at wha cost? James and Lily were dead. So were their parents. And Harry was an orphan at 1 and was being sent to live with the worst possible people for the job. Even Alice had a hard time remaining hopeful as the reality of their future weighed down on them all.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here ?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore -- you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son -- I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>James smiled slightly as he realized that even in the future he'd be able to depend on ol' Minnie.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"A what? Just a letter? That isn't enough! At least talk to them personally!" Alice cried out. She usually thought that her headmaster could do no wrong but she was seriously debating that right now.</p><p> </p><p>"<b>A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous -- a legend -- I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future -- there will be books written about Harry<b></b></b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>Everyone looked at the books on the table and the one in James' hand. </p><p> </p><p>"She was right about that" Peter said finally.</p><p> </p><p>"Is it possible that these book were written about Harry and then sent here from the future somehow?" Remus asked, his mind trying desperately to figure out this mystery.</p><p> </p><p>"It's possible I guess" Emma said nodding her head, "but who sent it?"</p><p> </p><p>No one had an answer for that so they continued reading.</p><p> </p><p> <b>-- every child in our world will know his name!"</b></p><p>
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  <b>"Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Ok so he has a point there but still! This is the child who defeated you know who somehow! Shouldn't his living arrangements be taken a little more seriously? Could you not have observed them for some time and talked to them before handing him over?" Emma asked in an irritated tone.</p><p> </p><p>"We can only assume that he's doing this because he needs to get Harry to a safe place as soon as possible" James said, although that did not really reassure anyone much. There were still a lot of holes in this plan like: what protections were going to be put on the dursleys house to make sure no one could hurt Harry? Besides even if they were extremely protective with enough strong wizards, which the death eaters definitely were, they could possibly be broken.</p><p>Their only hope was the fact that most people wouldn't know where Harry was.</p><p> </p><p>But Lily knew better. She knew that there was still another person that knew about her relation with her sister, who also had the means of finding out whether her and James' parents were still alive. Someone who already seemed to be showing sure signs of joining the death eaters. She could only hope that something had dissuaded Severus from joining them or that he had somehow forgotten. Unfortunately neither option seemed likely.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes -- yes, you're right, of course.</b>
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</p><p> </p><p>James groaned at McGonagall giving up like that but couldn't really blame her. The idea of someone arguing with Dumbledore, especially when he was so adamant, was completely foreign to him. So was the idea that Dumbledore could be wrong but James was sure that he was in this situation.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.</b>
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  <b>"Hagrid's bringing him."</b>
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  <b>"You think it -- wise -- to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Hey," Remus said frowning,"Hagrid's an alright fellow."</p><p> </p><p>Truthfully he wasn't particularly close to Hagrid, but he just gave off that feeling, that feeling that you could trust him with anything, perhaps not secrets, but definitely your life and also something like this.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>Reums flushed at thinking the same thing as his idol.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to -- what was that?"</b>
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  <b>A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky -- and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Merlin's pants, that sounds amazing!" Sirius said excitedly at the description of the motor cycle.</p><p> </p><p>"It does doesn't it? Makes you wish it was yours so you could have a ride in it." Emma said, grinning at her boyfriend's childlike excitement. It was honestly one of the reasons she liked him so much, his ability to just forget all the bad things in life and to focus on the good, something she herself always had a problem in.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild -- long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.</b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Good ol' Hagrid" said James grinning at his description.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>Lily cooed at hearing that. Finally she'd get to actually see how her baby was after only hearing about him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"</b>
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  <b>"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"What?" Sirius suddenly snapped, coming out of his awed state at hearing this,"I'm still alive in that time then? And that motor bike's mine!" he finished excitedly, although that quickly turned to sadness as he realized he have to actually live through his best friend's death and not just a future possibility of it. And he'd even have to take the news possible without the rest of them there.</p><p> </p><p>Emma must've quickly realized where his thought had gone because she quickly said, "That's great! At least now I won't have to beg hagrid to let me ride on that. Just tell me when you get this and I'll come and relieve you of it Sirius." she finished cheekily, but he had achieved her purpose as Sirius was now adamantly insisting that she wouldn't let her take the bike and that he wouldn't even let her come close.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>I've got him, sir."</b>
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</p><p> <b>"No problems, were there?"</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b>"No, sir -- house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b> Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.<b></b></b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Oh" said James blinking suddenly. "He sounds beautiful."</p><p> </p><p>Lily nodded unable to speak. Finally she whispered, "He has your hair"</p><p> </p><p>James smiled so widely at that, that the rest of the room couldn't resist smiling along with him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Is that where -- ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.</b>
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</p><p> <b>"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b>"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b>"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well -- give him here, Hagrid -- we'd better get this over with."<b></b></b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Uhh, is he kidding or...?" Peter said, laughing lightly.</p><p> </p><p>"You get the map, I'll get his left knee?" James said chuckling along with Peter.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.</b>
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</p><p> <b>"Could I -- could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss.</b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Aww" Lily cooed. She was glad that at least someone remained who cared about Harry. She couldn’t say the same with certainty for the people in this room unfortunately.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.</b>
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</p><p> <b>"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b>"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it -- Lily an' James dead -- an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles--"</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b>"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found,"</b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Remind me never to go to her for comfort" James said shakily, at another mention of his and Lily’s death.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"That's it? He's just going to leave him on the doorstep, in god knows what weather. Didn't the newscaster say that it was supposed to rain today?" screeched Lily, her motherly instincts coming out 3 years early.</p><p> </p><p>Alice rubbed her back soothingly as she was the one sitting closest to lily, although her eyes flashed angrily as well</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out. <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"I don't think I've ever seen that before honest" Remus said a little confused. He knew that sending Harry to the dursleys wasn't a good idea but at the same time if Dumbledore was so firm about it then there must be some hope right? He didn't know if that was even possible but he was more than willing to give Dumbledore the benefit of the doubt.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."</b>
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</p><p> <b>"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. <b></b></b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," Sirius said sincerely, not knowing that he would never get that bike back.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>G'night, Professor McGonagall -- Professor Dumbledore, sir."</b>
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</p><p> <b> Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar, it rose into the air and off into the night.</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b>"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b> Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner, he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.</b></p><p>
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</p><p> <b>"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.<b></b></b></p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>"I think he'll need it," Frank said shaking his head. He didn't think the Dursleys were the right family for Harry but he hoped he was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... <b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"You couldn't ask for a better welcome honestly" Alice said, still not on board with this plan.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter -- the boy who lived!"<b></b></b>
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</p><p> </p><p>"Oh.." Sirius said blankly, as his question at the start of the chapter, which felt like forever ago, was finally answered.</p><p> </p><p>No one could quite gather the energy to say anything to that. 'Oh' seemed to really sum up their mood right now.</p><p> </p><p>They had never for a second thought that this was what they'd get when they had decided to first read these books. A simple curiosity had opened their eyes to the tragedy of their future. </p><p> </p><p>James and Lily were taking it the hardest, not even knowing which part of their future they should discuss first, when suddenly they received a surprise.</p><p> </p><p>The room of requirement's door opened on it's own accord as into the room walked Minerva McGonagall.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Again hope you guys enjoyed it! Also, let me take this minute to rant about just how hard it is to write Peter Pettigrew! I will forever resent the fact that J.K Rowling missed the opportunity to give peter some amazing depth because now that job falls to me. And it is so damn hard because we know nearly nothing about his actual personality at school. And I refuse to believe that as smart as the marauders were, they would actually put their lives in the hands of someone like canon wormtail. Anyway I hope I wrote him somewhat believably to you, and I did like writing his monologue somewhere in the middle, but I'm going to keep trying to make him his own character separate from how we see him in the books.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Vanishing Glass i.e The Vanishing Restraint Not To Curse The Dursleys</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The room, now joined by Minerva McGonagall, read the second chapter and find out about Harry's home life in the future. Their own sadness grows as well as their hatred for the Dursleys.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, y'all! So I'm back with another chapter, thank you to everyone who read my fic since then. This one isn't as important, per se, from a finding out about the future pov. It's mainly them finding out Harry's home life. Although the parseltongue part is there, and I do explain how McGonagall got there and the business with books, well kind of, so there's that. Anyway hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room looked up in surprise as Minerva McGonagall walked in briskly. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the scene before her but that went unnoticed by the shocked students.</p>
<p>“Prof- professor?” stuttered a surprised Alice. ‘’What are you doing here?’’</p>
<p>‘’I might ask you the same thing, Miss Thomson,’’ McGonagall replied.</p>
<p>‘’I-we, um...’’ Alice spluttered into silence. Because really how were you supposed to explain books from the future to one of your most logical teachers?</p>
<p>The students looked at each other, wondering what to tell their transfiguration professor. Finally, Sirius decided to take the leap.</p>
<p>‘’I know this is going to be hard to believe Minnie,’’ McGonagall frowned at the use of that blasted nickname, ‘‘but we found some books from the future that we decided to read in this room. If you want proof- “ </p>
<p>“There’ll be no need for that.” McGonagall interrupted. “I believe you.”</p>
<p>“You, you do?” Peter finally said while everyone else was flabbergasted. They had definitely not expected that.</p>
<p>“Yes. I found this note,” she gestured to a piece of paper in her hand that no one had noticed, “telling me to come to this room and that I would find you eight sitting around 7 books that were supposedly from the future. I at first thought that this was your idea of a prank,” she said eyeing the four marauders, “and although I couldn’t understand why you’d something that would get you caught for sure, I still decided to come here. But seeing your so obvious surprise, the fact that even Miss Evans is here and what you told me, I have to believe that you aren’t lying.” she finished with a tired sigh. </p>
<p>Truthfully, she was still having trouble believing this future book thing, no matter what she told her students, but she couldn’t deny that all the evidence was somehow pointing to this ridiculous fact being true. That did not mean she wanted to have to deal with this time travel books fiasco.</p>
<p>“Uh... professor? What note did you get?” said Lily, confused about that particular thing that McGonagall had mentioned.</p>
<p>Minerva gave her the aforementioned note, which Lily read out loud:</p>
<p>“Ms. Minerva McGonagall,</p>
<p>Sorry for disturbing you, but I’m afraid this is quite urgent. If you would please go right now to the seventh floor and walk past the bit of wall right opposite the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy three times concentrating on finding eight of your students, including Mr. James Potter, Mr. Sirius Black, Mr. Remus Lupin, Mr. Peter Pettigrew, Miss Emma Rowland, Miss Lily Evans, Miss Alice Thomson, and Mr. Frank Longbottom, reading books about the future.</p>
<p>I understand if you won’t believe me right now but please do go to this room called the Room of Requirement and you will find proof that I am saying the truth. And when you do, believe me, I request you to sit with them and read the rest of the books with them. Also, when you do go there, please tell the students that they were supposed to find a note with the books explaining everything but it got lost during the going to the past business. Time travel really is a tricky business. Nevertheless, I’m grateful that they did start reading the books. Thank them for me.</p>
<p>All the luck in the world (you will need it),</p>
<p>A friend.”</p>
<p>“Well, that was nice’’ said Sirius referring to the ending sentiments.</p>
<p>“So, we were right then?’’ Frank asked excitedly. “This is from the future and someone wants us to read them”</p>
<p>“I thought we all agreed on that,” said James rolling his eyes, though he still felt disappointed that this wasn’t some idiot’s idea of a bad joke.</p>
<p>“Although they really shouldn’t be sending things to the past if they aren’t sure if it’ll reach us” huffed Lily, “I nearly got a heart attack because of the note getting lost.” She couldn’t believe that after arguing about it and making theories about it, all of it could have been explained by a simple note.</p>
<p>“Now that that’s out of the way, will anyone care to tell me about what you all read until I reached here?” said Minerva.</p>
<p>The teenagers all looked at each other warily. They had just been able to distract themselves from what they had read because of McGonagall’s arrival so they didn’t fancy reliving it. But she really did have to know what happened so Emma gave a resigned sigh and began the story.</p>
<p>It took some time to tell Minerva everything that happened because they were interrupted by snide comments about the Dursleys every so often, they had another minor celebration about You Know Who dying, and McGonagall took 10 minutes when she found out about the Potter’s death, during which she stared at both Lily and James with what appeared to be tears in her eyes (the marauders couldn’t believe their eyes), but they finally caught her up to what they had read so far.</p>
<p>“So that was the first chapter professor,” Emma said, “and now we have to read the second one.”</p>
<p>No one really wanted to read more but they had to, so James opened the book again with a pained expression but he was interrupted.<br/>
“I can read this time James,” said McGonagall, taking pity on James obvious reluctance to read more.</p>
<p>James passed her the book in shock that she had actually called him by his first name. <i>It seems like she really took our death hard,<i> thought James.</i></i></p>
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  <b>“The Vanishing Glass”<b> read McGonagall.</b></b></p><p>
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      <b>Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. <b></b></b>
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<p>“Boring” sang Sirus.</p>
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  <b>The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets<b></b></b>
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<p>Everyone stifled their laughter at the innocent insult.</p>
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  <b>-- but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.<b></b></b>
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<p>“Did someone come and take him away then?” said Lily, hardly daring to hope that her son wouldn’t have to live with people who hated who he was.</p>
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<p>“Then why the hell aren’t there any pictures of him around?” Alice asked angrily.</p>
<p>“Miss Thomson, language.” McGonagall said, although she too was wondering the same thing.</p>
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  <b> asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.</b>
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<p>“What a nice, pleasant wake-up call,” said Peter shaking his head with sympathy for Harry. </p>
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  <b>"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it.</b>
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<p>“He- he remembers?” James asked.</p>
<p>“I guess’’ muttered Sirius, also amazed at Harry’s memory.</p>
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  <b>"Are you up yet?" she demanded.<b></b></b>
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  <b>"Nearly," said Harry.<b></b></b>
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  <b>"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."<b></b></b>
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<p>“They make the 11-year-old cook?” Emma said with disgust.</p>
<p>“And here I thought they couldn’t get worse,” Frank said with narrowed eyes. </p>
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  <b>"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.<b></b></b>
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  <b>Dudley's birthday -- how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.<b></b></b>
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<p>“He what?” screamed Lily. When they had been reading the last chapter, she had been too drowned in self-pity to feel angry at Petunia for her insults. But this- this crossed the line of insults. It wasn’t enough that they had no pictures of her baby growing up, that they made him cook, that they hated who he was, no that wasn’t enough. So, they made him sleep in a bloody cupboard. This wasn’t even insulting anymore, it was spiteful and cruel and even abusive and if she ever met her sister again, she was going to make sure tuney was too afraid to even think about doing something like this to Lily’s son.</p>
<p>“Never mind I was wrong. They can get much worse.” spat Frank, never having hated being wrong more.</p>
<p>“Those- those creatures, if I ever meet them, they are going to regret being born and…” Sirius continued ranting, looking like Bellatrix’s brother. Remus was nodding along furiously to every one of his words.</p>
<p>James looked so deadly at the moment that Peter thought that if the Dursleys appeared in the room right now, then there wouldn’t be much of them left after James was done with them. Which he wasn’t at all opposed to, seeing as to what they were doing to his best mate’s son.</p>
<p>The rest of the room wasn’t doing much better. Minerva was cursing herself for not protesting Harry’s placing there more. Emma looked like she would like nothing more than to give some death eater their address and Alice looked so homicidal, that Frank worried about her being sent to Azkaban.</p>
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  <b>When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise<b></b></b>
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<p>“Would hate to picture him in P.E class” said Emma, rolling her eyes.</p>
<p>“Would hate to picture him anywhere” grunted Sirius, understanding what she meant because he had taken muggle studies.</p>
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<p>“Of course, it is,” groaned James. Could nothing in his son’s life go right?</p>
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  <b>but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.<b></b></b>
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<p>Lily sighed with relief that at least Harry wasn’t completely helpless in his fight against his cousin.</p>
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<p>“So, he’s a scrawny git with a thing for speed?” said Sirius casually, “really takes after you doesn’t, he prongs?’’</p>
<p>Even while throwing a pillow at Sirius for that comment, James couldn’t bother to wipe a smile off his face at the fact that Harry took after him a little.</p>
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  <b> He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.<b></b></b>
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<p>Lily let out a pitiful moan at that.</p>
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<p>Ok so harry took after him more than a little.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t that sound just like James in first-year moony, wormtail?” Sirius said trying to remember.</p>
<p>Remus nodded, amused as well. “Except for his eyes. Those are Lily’s” he added.</p>
<p>Lily laughed and couldn’t help but return a smile to James who was beaming. He was extremely proud that harry looked so much like him but he was even happier that he got from Lily what James loved most about her.</p>
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<p>“He even inherited your terrible eyesight, James,’’ Frank said, trying to ignore the rest of the sentence.</p>
<p>James nodded but couldn’t feel too happy while hearing about his son’s mistreatment at the hands of Dudley.</p>
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<p>“He likes it?” said Sirius incredulously. Who could like something that they got at the cost of their parents?</p>
<p>“He must not know where he got it from” whispered Emma.</p>
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  <b>He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.<b></b></b>
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<p>“What? Car crash? Really?” spat Alice.</p>
<p>“How dare they lie to a child about how his parents died?” asked McGonagall angrily</p>
<p>“Are you surprised professor?” said Lily maliciously. She couldn’t believe Petunia would say something like that. Did it matter that less to her that her little sister was dead?</p>
<p>James wanted to ask what a car crash was but decided not to at the look on everyone’s faces. He figured it must mean that thing that muggles used to travel crashing something. Although that wouldn’t kill a wizard or witch so he didn’t know why Petunia was even bothering lying.</p>
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  <b>she had said. "And don't ask questions."<b></b></b>
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  <b>Don't ask questions -- that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.<b></b></b>
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<p>“How are you supposed to learn then?’’ demanded Emma furiously, ever the Ravenclaw.</p>
<p>“Emma, do you think they want Harry to learn?” Frank responded. He was angry about this as well but unfortunately knew better.</p>
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  <b>Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.<b></b></b>
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<p>“Not going to work.’’ James said, shaking his head. He already knew where this was going and knew that it would never work.</p>
<p>“And he’s speaking from a lot of experience,” Remus said chuckling.</p>
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  <b>About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way -- all over the place.<b></b></b>
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<p>“The bane of Ms. Potter’s life.” Peter said, not even being able to count the number of times he had heard about James’s mum trying to get James’s hair under control.</p>
<p>James stiffened at the mention of his mother, he hadn’t forgotten what the books implied about his parents’ future, but then relaxed and laughed at Pete’s joke.</p>
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  <b>Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel -- Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.<b></b></b>
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<p>“Good one Harry!’’ said James laughing.</p>
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  <b>"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."<b></b></b>
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<p>“Is he complaining?” Alice couldn’t believe someone could be so pampered, especially when Harry was so mistreated.</p>
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  <b>"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.</b>
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  <b>Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin?</b>
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<p>“Popkin?” Emma snickered.</p>
<p>
  <b>Two more presents. Is that all right"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty... thirty..."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Has he gone to school?” asked Peter asked seriously. “Even I knew that at 11 and I never went to muggle school.” He had never thought he would find someone worse than him at common sense.</p>
<p>
  <b>"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Sweetums?” Frank chortled. He would have felt some pity for Dudley at those god awful nicknames if he hadn’t been a brat so far.</p>
<p>
  <b>"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon chuckled.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.</b>
</p>
<p>“Of course, he encourages this behavior.” hissed McGonagall. Minerva was disgusted. Children learned by replicating what they see adults do, thereby thinking that it’s okay to do what they did. So, it was no wonder that Dudley had turned out this way. Honestly, he never had a chance of being a nice boy when he had parents who would let him get away with anything and who actively encouraged bad behavior like this.</p>
<p>
  <b>At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“That ‘him’ is your nephew and has a name. Learn it.” Alice snapped with something similar to hatred, which was remarkable because the sweet and kind Hufflepuff was known for not holding a grudge against anyone, much less actually hating someone.</p>
<p>
  <b>Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>Lily made a sound of disgust at that but didn’t bother commenting anything else.</p>
<p>
  <b>with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Can’t blame you. Cats are horrible.” Sirius shuddered. “Except you professor. You’re great,” he said in response to her glare.</p>
<p>McGonagall would forever deny that she actually smiled a little at that. </p>
<p>
  <b>"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Probably have parties just to complain about Harry, don’t you?” Peter muttered.</p>
<p>
  <b>The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there -- or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“More like they’re trolls and you’re the only human there.” James said.</p>
<p>
  <b>"What about what's-her-name, your friend -- Yvonne?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“She has friends?’’ said Emma skeptical. Who would want to friends with someone like her?</p>
<p>Lily remembered how Tuney had always had a problem with making friends- which Lily had never had, even in the Muggle world. But she didn’t mention that to Emma because even if Petunia was being mean and spiteful, saying something like that to someone who didn’t like petunia was just cruel.</p>
<p>
  <b>"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“What is he going to do? Light the house on fire?” James scoffed.</p>
<p>Minerva swallowed her follow up remark of how that’s what she would expect from James Potter’s son. She could see that it wasn’t the time.</p>
<p>
  <b>"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave him in the car..."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“That’s against the law” pointed out Frank but he knew it was useless. The Dursley’s wouldn’t care about something like child laws, they would only care if someone actually saw Harry in that state. </p>
<p>
  <b>"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone..."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Like James said, what is Harry going to do? Especially if you lock him in the car and leave.” Alice snapped.</p>
<p>
  <b>Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying -- it had been years since he'd really cried -- but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Dinky Duddydums, </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>That was it. Everyone immediately collapsed into raucous laughter. Even McGonagall let a few chuckles out at that ridiculous name. It took some time for everyone to calm down, partly because they hadn’t had anything to laugh about during this entire reading, but they finally did.</p>
<p>“Po- poor dinky duddydums” hiccupped Sirius, looking like he was going to go into another laughing fit.</p>
<p>
  <b>don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I... don't... want... him... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“I think that’s you actually,” Remus said as he marveled at the Dursley’s ability to make their good mood go away just like that.</p>
<p>
  <b>Just then, the doorbell rang -- "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically -- and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Hey! Don’t compare him to a rat. Rats are cool, unlike that git.” James said glaring at the book.</p>
<p>Peter beamed at him.</p>
<p>
  <b>Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Did Petunia and Vernon take him anywhere at all?” asked Lily in disbelief.</p>
<p>No one answered, which made it obvious what everyone was thinking.</p>
<p>
  <b>His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy -- any funny business, anything at all </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“He’s talking about it so much that now I want Harry to do something.” said Sirius, rolling his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <b>-- and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly..."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“But tuney knows! This must be accidental magic and Petunia knows damn well that Harry can’t control it. So why aren’t they believing him?” Lily said aghast.</p>
<p>“Because they’re the Dursleys and they hate happiness.”  Alice said bitterly.</p>
<p>
  <b>Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Good job son,” James said laughing. He couldn’t imagine going to school with that haircut. Thank merlin his mum had never resorted to that.</p>
<p>
  <b> He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>James winced at that, as he had been encouraging it a minute back while Lily looked absolutely murderous. The idea of letting Lily go and ‘talk’ to the Dursleys was quite appealing to everyone in the room.</p>
<p>
  <b>Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“He should have never been worried about that in the first place Petunia!” Lily shouted.</p>
<p>“Miss Evans please calm yourself.  I understand that this is horrible to read about but we won’t be able to get any further if you keep shouting after every line.” McGonagall said.</p>
<p>Lily wasn’t pleased about being asked to tone down her frustrations but nodded nonetheless.</p>
<p>
  <b>On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Flying or apparition?” Peter said.</p>
<p>“I would say flying. Apparition’s pretty tough even for proper wizards to learn with lessons and all, so it would be incredibly hard for someone to do it accidentally.” Frank responded.</p>
<p>
  <b>The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>Sirius snorted at Harry’s mental thinking. The wind really?</p>
<p>
  <b>But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“I can just see the love oozing out of Dursley for Harry,’’ Emma said rolling her eyes. Honestly, he was an 11-year-old boy, what was there to complain about so much? Especially one that seemed so nice and well behaved. Not that the Dursleys deserved it.</p>
<p> <b>This morning, it was motorcycles.</b></p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Oh, Harry why?” Frank groaned. He could already imagine how Vernon would react to that.</p>
<p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“It’s not like he said that they do. Besides people can have dreams that are a little fantastical, especially children.” Remus snapped.</p>
<p>
  <b>Dudley and Piers sniggered.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon -- they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Those people- he can’t control his magic yet! You know that. So even if he wants to, he couldn’t curse you,’’ said James in a bitter tone that made it clear that he wished Harry could do just that, forget the statue of secrecy, “besides the idea would never come to him in the first place if you would actually love him and treat him well.’’</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, some people don’t think that far Mr. Potter,” said McGonagall, in a resigned tone.</p>
<p>
  <b>It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>Lily couldn’t believe that something like buying Harry treats was such a surprising thing now, but was grateful all the same for the lady in the van.</p>
<p>
  <b> It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Ahh… Dudley’s in his natural habitat then.” Sirius said grinning.</p>
<p>
  <b>Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Not too bad a morning then!” Peter said, finally finding something to be happy about.</p>
<p>
  <b>Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>Everyone groaned and the smile was wiped from Peter’s face in record time.</p>
<p>
  <b>After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can -- but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Make it move," he whined at his father. </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“I am convinced that boy has no empathy whatsoever” Alice spat.</p>
<p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Sorry Duddlikins, but you’ve finally discovered that the world doesn’t revolve around you,” Frank smirked. </p>
<p>
  <b>"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself -- no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“He’s comparing his life… to a zoo animal.” Lily said slowly. “Not just that, he’s barely winning out!” she said, now slightly hysterical.</p>
<p>“Lily-” started James, not knowing how exactly to comfort her when he himself felt so bad.</p>
<p>“Don’t Lily me,” she snapped. “Our son’s life is so messed up that a comparison like this is inevitable!” </p>
<p>Then turning to McGonagall, she said, “If I have a child and both I and its father are killed while they are still young, then under no circumstances is anyone allowed to send them to my sister. I don’t care if everyone I know is dead, send him to a bloody orphanage, but do not give them over to Petunia.”</p>
<p>Minerva nodded her understanding. Everyone in the room was amazed at how mature Lily seemed at 16. Turns out reading about your future and your son’s abusive life really changes you.</p>
<p>
  <b>The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>It winked.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“What? Snakes don’t have eyelids. They can’t blink!” Emma said, quite unnecessarily, thought Sirius.</p>
<p>“I’m sure Harry just imagined it, Emma.” Alice said, reassuringly.</p>
<p>
  <b>Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I get that all the time."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“This is the weirdest conversation I’ve ever heard,” James said faintly. His son was what? Talking to a snake apparently? It was mostly signs and gestures but still.</p>
<p>
  <b>The snake nodded vigorously.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Boa Constrictor, Brazil.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Was it nice there?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see -- so you've never been to Brazil?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Is he- is he actually talking with the snake?” asked James, coming out of disbelief. “Is he a parselmouth? Because I’m not and they’re supposed to be hereditary.”</p>
<p>“Stating the obvious there prongs,” Sirius said.</p>
<p>“But it’s true. Is Harry a parselmouth somehow?’’ Frank asked, curious at this unprecedented circumstance.</p>
<p>“We still don’t know if it’s true though,” Remus disagreed. “Harry might be imagining it.” He would unfortunately be lonely enough for that to happen.</p>
<p>“Let’s just see what happens next ok?” Lily said.</p>
<p>
  <b>As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened -- one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Go Harry!” said Peter laughing.</p>
<p>
  <b>As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“So that confirms it.” Alice said in slight shock. How did Harry know parseltongue if James didn’t?</p>
<p>Everyone else nodded, wondering the same things.</p>
<p>
  <b>The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“That brat- he knows he’s getting Harry into trouble, doesn’t he?” James said furiously.</p>
<p>“He’s Duddlikins friend James. Getting Harry into trouble is their life’s ambition.” Sirius said curtly. </p>
<p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go -- cupboard -- stay -- no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Oh, I feel so bad for him,” hissed Lily. If she ever met Vernon Dursley…</p>
<p>
  <b>Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>The four marauders smirked at this, although it was a little weak from all of them. Marauder junior should’ve been sneaking into kitchens for the thrill, not because that was the only way he could eat food and sustain himself. It infuriated the four of them.</p>
<p>
  <b>He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Oh merlin. He remembers that as well?” asked Lily faintly.</p>
<p>“It must be his subconscious.” Alice responded. Surviving the killing curse cast by the most fearsome dark lord in history would leave a lasting impression. </p>
<p>
  <b>This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“He doesn’t even know what we look like?” asked Lily, with tears in her eyes. For merlin’s sake! She had been able to push out all the bad things she had learned in the last chapter and focus on her anger at the way the Dursleys were treating Harry but she couldn’t do this anymore. Her own son didn’t know anything about her. Did Petunia even bother to tell him that he got Lily’s eyes? Probably not, she thought harshly.</p>
<p>James looked like he was slapped in the face. Literal strangers knew more about James Potter than his own son seemed to. What kind of legacy was that?</p>
<p>
  <b>When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“Sorry Harry.” Emma couldn’t help but say sadly. She knew that everyone in the room would come to Harry’s aid if his parents actually died so everyone must’ve had a reason not to visit Harry, which only made this whole situation worse.</p>
<p>
  <b>the Dursleys were his only family.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“They aren’t your family Harry,” Alice said sharply. </p>
<p>
  <b> Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“The boy who lived.” Peter whispered. Of course wizards everywhere would be dying to have a look at the boy who saved the wizarding world.</p>
<p>
  <b> The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“It’s almost like magic” Frank joked weakly. No one laughed.</p>
<p>
  <b>At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p>“That’s the end of the chapter,” McGonagall said with a sigh. She knew this was in the future but she still felt like she should’ve protested harder when Dumbledore was leaving Harry at the Dursleys, especially after finding out just what his life there was like.</p>
<p>“Well, that was a depressing chapter,” Sirius said.</p>
<p>“Understatement.” muttered James. He still couldn’t really wrap his head around just how bad his son’s life seemed to be.</p>
<p>Lily sighed and said, “Maybe we should take a break. We can come back and finish this later.” She seriously couldn’t take reading about her horrible family any longer.</p>
<p>“Maybe just not yet Lils’’ Emma said smiling. “Want to know what the next chapter is called?” she asked, looking into the book, “Letters from No One.’’</p>
<p>“YES! He’s finally going to Hogwarts” cheered James. No one could hold their smile at that as they realized that Harry was finally going to learn about the one collective place, they all loved. He was going to learn about their, and soon his, home.</p>
<p>“Oh, let’s start the chapter now then” Lily giggled, happy that her son’s life was going to get better now.</p>
<p>Emma smiled and read,<b> “Letters from No One”<b>.</b></b></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah like I said not much this time and on that note not much next time as well if I remember correctly, so I might get that one to you guys faster than this one cause I only took some time to write the first part of this chapter. Also if anyone was wondering why I didn't put in the note with the books at the start it's part retcon, part circumstance? It's just that these types of notes always seem to give something or the other away and I wanted the students to go into this as blind as possible, I know pretty heartless of me lol. So McGonagall's note was a convenient way of explaining the books without giving too much away. About Minnie tho, I actually wanted her there from the start but I thought it would be too much retconning to get her there, plus I liked how it was, so she came in here. Also, the note getting lost spoke to the danger of messing with time and all so bonus!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Letters From No One, *Cough* Hogwarts *Cough*</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The room waits with eagerness for Harry to find out about the magical world but their hopes are spoiled by Vernon. Their frustration grows as Vernon goes to great lengths to stop Harry from getting his letter, but they find hope at the end of the chapter.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>“The Letters From No One”</b> Emma read happily.</p><p>
  <b>
    <b></b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b></b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>And just like that their mood was down again. Curse those Dursleys! Could they not let them and Harry feel good for even a second?</p><p>
  <b>By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“What a brat” huffed Alice.</p><p>
  <b>Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Sound logic,” Peter said, rolling his eyes.</p><p>
  <b>The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“No. Instead, you’re going to be surrounded by wizards just like you who won’t hate you for who you are,” Lily said earnestly, looking forward to listening to people not treat her son as scum.</p><p>
  <b>Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Nah son. You’re coming straight to Hogwarts, the best place on the planet!” James said grinning.</p><p>“Damn right!” Sirius agreed, looking around the room at his friends and Emma.</p><p>“Mr. Black language,” McGonagall said, although she too had a smile on her face at her students’ obvious love for their school.</p><p>
  <b>Dudley thought this was very funny.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“How nice of you to allow him to practice that on you,” Remus said smirking. He was determined not to let anything bring him down now that they knew how close Harry was to finally leaving his horrid family.</p><p>
  <b>"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it -- it might be sick." </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Oh, Moony! You just got outdone by an 11-year-old,” said Sirius, laughing at both Remus’s annoyed face as well as Harry’s brilliant insult.</p><p>
  <b>Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“That’s the best we could ask for I guess,” Lily said sighing. She couldn’t really blame Mrs. Figg, because at least she had taken Harry in and treated him better than his own family had but it still pained her how even the brightest spots in her son’s life were littered with things he didn’t like. He should’ve had at least one memory in his life that he couldn’t find any fault in but that seemed to be too much to ask for from Tuney and her husband.</p><p>
  <b>That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“How? Actually, you know what? It fits. Of course, this is the kind of school Vernon would go to and send his son to.” Frank said shaking his head.</p><p>
  <b>As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“I was going to say something about you not having a very good life then but we already know that you don’t,” Emma said casually.</p><p>
  <b>Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>No one had that restraint here as they burst out laughing again. They didn’t think there would ever come a time when Petunia’s nicknames for Dudley wouldn’t amuse them.</p><p>
  <b>There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Oh, the absolute horror. How dare he try to ask a question?” Alice said rolling her eyes. “Honestly Petunia’s just getting ridiculous now”</p><p>Minerva privately agreed. Most adults struggled with dealing with their curiosity and she was expecting this from children? </p><p>
  <b>"Your new school uniform," she said.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Harry looked in the bowl again.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Somehow I doubt that,” Lily said wrinkling her nose.</p><p>
  <b>Harry seriously doubted this,</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>Lily smiled at almost thinking the same thing as Harry.</p><p>
  <b> but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High -- like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“No worries there. You’ll get your robes from Madam’s Malkin’s” Peter said.</p><p>
  <b>Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>Frank wondered silently if it was even worth saying that Dudley was a brat when they had all known that from the first chapter.</p><p>
  <b>They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Am I dreaming? Has the world turned upside down?’’ James said in disbelief.</p><p>“Well... no, pigs aren’t flying but I think Vernon did actually ask Duddlydums to do something,” Sirius said slowly, looking up to the roof as if he expected pigs to really start flying.</p><p>
  <b>"Make Harry get it."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Get the mail, Harry."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Of course, back to our regular scheduling then” muttered Sirius bitterly while James sat back with a scowl. No one else had even bothered to look surprised. </p><p>
  <b>"Make Dudley get it."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“What a farce of parenting this is” McGonagall spat.</p><p>
  <b>Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and -- a letter for Harry.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Do you think that’s his Hogwarts letter?” Peter asked excitedly.</p><p>“Well, we haven’t heard about any of Harry’s other letters in the book yet so this must be important. So yes probably,” Frank replied with a smile.</p><p>
  <b>Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives -- he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Or maybe we haven’t heard about any of his other letters because he doesn’t get any,’’ Lily said, now a little sour.</p><p>
  <b>Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Mr. H. Potter</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>The Cupboard under the Stairs</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>4 Privet Drive</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Little Whinging</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Surrey</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“That definitely Hogwarts” Alice raised an eyebrow at the extremely specific address.</p><p>“The letters are all written by a special quill that is charmed to write down the same letter for everyone. It gets the address from another register that registers any magic done by an underage wizard or witch in Britain.” McGonagall rushed to explain before anyone could get any wrong ideas. If they had known about Harry’s living conditions, she did not doubt that they would’ve already taken him away from that house.</p><p>Everyone nodded, but couldn’t help but wonder what was worse. If they had known and hadn’t done anything or the fact that they didn’t even bother to check up on a child that was orphaned at 1? Ok, one was definitely worse than the other but the other one wasn’t great either. </p><p>
  <b>The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion,</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>The Gryffindors in the room, which was most of them, cheered at that.</p><p>
  <b>an eagle,</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>Emma smirked and Sirius grinned at her affectionately,</p><p>
  <b>a badger,</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>Alice cheered while Frank smiled.</p><p>
  <b> and a snake </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>McGonagall, Lily, Emma, Alice, Frank, and Remus clapped politely.</p><p>
  <b>surrounding a large letter H.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>Everyone cheered.</p><p>
  <b>"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“So clever Vernon” Emma rolled her eyes. Merlin, how many times had she done that this chapter?</p><p>
  <b>Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Noooo Harry!” James groaned, “You should’ve read it in the corridor itself. Or hid it until you reached your room” he would never acknowledge that that cupboard was actually his son’s room, “just don’t show it to the bloody Dursleys.” He ignored McGonagall’s admonishments.</p><p>“Now James, I’m sure they won’t continue to lie to him now that his letter is here. I mean Harry’s going to find everything out from the letter anyway,” Frank said uncertainly. They wouldn’t do anything, now right?</p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk..."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  “Oh, come on Dudley! Mind your own business for once why don’t you?” said Remus, annoyed.
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.</b>
</p><p>“Flattering,” Alice wrinkled her nose.</p><p>
  <b>"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it,</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Why is it that everyone in that family wants to read Harry’s letter before him?” demanded Sirius, now getting seriously pissed at the way the Dursleys were going about the most important letter in Harry’s life.</p><p>
  <b> but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Dramatic much Tuney?” Lily asked with narrowed eyes. It’s like they thought Harry would never have to go to Hogwarts, honestly.</p><p>
  <b>"Vernon! Oh my goodness -- Vernon!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“He’s just the best kid ever,” Alice said waspishly. </p><p>
  <b>"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Damn straight Harry!” Frank said heatedly.</p><p>
  <b>"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“They’d better be talking about the best way to tell Harry about his magical abilities, cause if they aren’t….” James said warningly, fingering his wand.</p><p>The rest almost felt afraid for the Dursleys at the look on James’s face. Almost.</p><p>
  <b>Harry didn't move.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“That is his own child and nephew!” Minerva said horrified.</p><p>
  <b>Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address -- how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Watching -- spying -- might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“As if we don’t have better things to do” Peter sneered.</p><p>“That’s a job fit only for the worst kind of wizards and witches,” Emma said. She found it comparable to Azkaban.</p><p>
  <b>"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want--"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“They don’t want? They huh? Who the hell cares what they want? I’m sure Harry would want to get out of there and it’s only what Harry wants that matters.” snarled James.</p><p>“Professor, they can’t do that right? Someone would investigate right?” Lily asked anxiously.</p><p>McGonagall looked doubtful. “It depends on how they answer Miss. Evans. If they show some of their hatred for our type in their response then we would be a little suspicious. But if they were polite enough, then unfortunately we wouldn’t step in. Even though most parents in Britain do their children to Hogwarts, it isn’t obligatory. If they wanted, they could refuse to send their child.”</p><p>“Besides with everything that has happened to Harry we would probably think that his aunt and uncle were doing this out of some misguided attempt to protect him, instead of them actually doing it because they want to stop him from realizing his full potential.” she finished in a disgusted tone.</p><p>Everyone looked crestfallen as they realized that the Dursleys could actually stop Harry from coming to Hogwarts. </p><p>
  <b>Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... Yes, that's best... we won't do anything..."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“At least you’re good for being stupid once in a while Dursley,” Emma said with a sigh of relief.</p><p>
  <b>"But--"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>Lily narrowed her eyes and glared at the book with so much hatred that Emma was surprised it didn’t just burst into flames. “What do you mean by stamp it out?” she said quietly. </p><p>“I think he means keeping Harry as miserable as possible Lily,” Frank said with a concerned glance at her.</p><p>She didn’t say anything to that, choosing to continue glaring at the book.</p><p>
  <b>That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Did he even fit?” Alice asked maliciously.</p><p>
  <b>"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“That- that git! That bloody git.” James roared.</p><p>“He had no right to burn Mr. Potter’s Hogwarts letter without even letting him read it,” Minerva said angrily.</p><p>“Oh, when I get my hands oh him….” Alice snarled. </p><p>
  <b>"It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Good” Emma spat.</p><p>
  <b>"Er -- yes, Harry -- about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... you're really getting a bit big for it... we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Second bedroom?<i> Second bedroom?<i> There was another room in the house the whole time and they still put Harry in a bloody cupboard?” Lily asked, half angry, half incredulous.</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Why am I not surprised?” Frank groaned.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <b>"Why?" said Harry.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>It was sad how the room didn’t even bother to complain about this.</p><p>
  <b> It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>Emma paused to shake her head at that and then kept reading.</p><p>
  <b>From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, I don't want him in there... I need that room... make him get out..."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“What a horrid child,” Alice said sniffing.</p><p>
  <b> Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>James looked mournful at that. He was sure that if he had lived even a little bit longer, he would’ve drilled it into Harry’s head that he should never open letters anywhere near people you dislike. Just another thing he would never be able to tell his son.</p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive -- '"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“That special quill seems to have an attitude professor,” Sirius said chuckling, to McGonagall.</p><p>“I’m sure it was just being very specific Mr. Black,” Minerva said, rolling her eyes.</p><p>
  <b>With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick,</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Good for everyone except Harry,” Peter said, nodding at the small forms of retribution.</p><p>
  <b> Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Go to your cupboard -- I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley -- go -- just go."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Let’s hope you make good plans like your dad,” Remus said. James was the one who usually made the Marauder’s plans and he was brilliant at it.</p><p>“And not like your mum,” Lily muttered under her breath. Even though she didn’t make many plans to break rules, even her normal plans never seemed to work out properly. </p><p>Severus used to say many times that the reason she wasn’t a mischievous student who played pranks was because she would get caught on her first day if she tried. She suppressed a grin at that and immediately felt guilty. She wasn’t going to think about him when he obviously didn’t care about her. </p><p>
  <b>The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Not a bad plan,’’ James said approvingly.</p><p>
  <b>His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door --</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"AAAAARRRGH!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat -- something alive!</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror, Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Ah... bad luck there Harry,” said Sirius, stuck between wanting to laugh and feeling bad that Harry wasn’t able to get his letter.</p><p>
  <b> He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I want -- " he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Yeah, sorry that’s not going to work,’’ Emma said, quite smug, already seeing what he was trying to do.</p><p>
  <b>"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“At least there’s someone with common sense there,” Frank said with a foul taste in his mouth on complimenting Petunia.</p><p>
  <b>"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me,"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“And thank merlin for that,” Peter said loudly to general agreement.</p><p>
  <b> said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Huh? Oh, Merlin, he’s really lost his mind, hasn’t he?’’ Lily asked amused, not even slightly concerned.</p><p>
  <b>On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“At least we’re making him paranoid,” Alice giggled.</p><p>
  <b>On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Creative,” Remus said with a raised eyebrow, grudgingly amused at how far the Dursleys were going to to stop Harry from getting his letter when someone would inevitably come for him after receiving no response from the savior of the wizarding world. </p><p>
  <b>"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today--"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Didn’t you say something about our minds working differently from yours and your wife’s?” Frank asked, grinning, knowing that wouldn’t stop Hogwarts.</p><p>
  <b>Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one –</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Why was he trying to catch one from the air?” asked Emma confused, “if there were some thirty or forty, couldn’t he just get one from the floor?”</p><p>There was a moment of silence during which James and Sirius looked at the floor resolutely, which told everyone that they would have done the same thing as Harry and completely forget about the easier option.</p><p>“Well, we know which house Harry isn’t going to be in then,” Alice said laughing at the look on James and Sirius’s faces.</p><p>
  <b>"Out! OUT!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Oh, this is getting ridiculous,” McGonagall sighed. As paranoid as that man was, did he really think they wouldn’t be able to find them?  </p><p>
  <b>He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Shake 'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Now you know how Harry must feel then,” James said nastily.</p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering...</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>The whole room looked smug as they knew exactly what the owner was talking about.</p><p>
  <b>She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Mr. H. Potter</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Room 17</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Railview Hotel</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Cokeworth</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Probably wondering how someone could act like that with their child,” Remus said frowning. “It’s what she would think!” he said when many people looked disgusted at the ‘their child’ comment.</p><p>
  <b>"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Were those really places he was thinking of staying at?” Peter asked incredulously. </p><p>
  <b>"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“You can’t go somewhere you’ve stayed your whole life ickle duddlikins” Sirius snickered.</p><p>
  <b>Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television."</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday -- and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television -- then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Oh, he hasn’t turned 11 yet,” Lily said, making a mental note of which month he must’ve been born in then.</p><p>
  <b>Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun -- last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>James closed his eyes while Lily just sighed.</p><p>
  <b> Still, you weren't eleven every day.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“That’s not-’’ Remus began but then let out a sigh and shut his mouth. </p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“That’s it? How long is he planning to stay there?” Alice asked with horror.</p><p>“He is such an idiot,” Frank said frowning, thinking the same thing.</p><p>
  <b>"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. </b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Oh, he’s going to get a cold like this,” Lily fretted. </p><p>It would’ve been amusing if it didn’t seem like Harry was going to freeze to death in the future.</p><p>
  <b>After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Does he not care for his family and himself either?” asked Emma in disbelief that that were his rations.</p><p>“He’s going to the most ridiculous extremes to stop us from finding Harry while making it impossible for us to ignore them’’ Minerva was seething. Her future student was being forced to live in the worst conditions possible.</p><p>
  <b>He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“He’s a complete arsehole, isn’t he?” Peter noted offhandedly. The audacity of that man to say something like that after everything he was putting Harry through was almost impressive and completely disgusting.</p><p>
  <b>He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Don’t worry Harry, wizards don’t give up so easily” Lily said soothingly as if Harry would hear her and cheer up.</p><p>
  <b>As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“It would be a bloody miracle if Harry got out of this without an illness!” James shouted.</p><p>Lily nodded furiously along with his words. She didn’t care if they would even send her to Azkaban for it, but the Dursleys were going to learn their lesson on how to treat her son.</p><p>
  <b>The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Oh, Harry” moaned Lily.</p><p>
  <b> Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Let’s hope so,” muttered Emma, happy that Harry was finally using his brains.</p><p>
  <b>Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds... twenty... ten... nine -- maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Do it,” Sirius grinned.</p><p>
  <b> -- three... two... one...</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b>BOOM.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“Ms. Rowland! You didn’t have to shout it,” McGonagall scolded. Emma just grinned back mischievously at her professor.</p><p>
  <b>The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>“You don’t think?” asked Peter, unwilling after the last chapter to get his hopes up just to be disappointed.</p><p>“That a wizard has come searching for Harry and will tell him everything about the magical world? Yeah, I do! How else could they have reached here?” Remus replied grinning.</p><p>“What’s the next chapter’s title?” James asked excitedly.</p><p>Frank answered because Emma had passed him the book, “The Keeper of Keys”</p><p>“Yep, that’s Hagrid,” Sirius said smiling. Finally, Harry would learn all about his magical heritage.</p><p>“Well then what are we waiting for? Let’s read,” Emma said.</p><p><b>"The Keeper of Keys” </b>read Frank.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Truthfully I didn't have much motivation to write this chapter at first because from the room pov it's just another Dursleys behave horribly chapter but I did start enjoying it halfway through. That said, I am so excited to finally get to the meatier chapters in this book! Also, I have to say, writing hate for the Dursleys can get so damn tiring. It's not like they don't deserve it but saying basically the same thing every few paras got annoying very quickly for me and I think you'll get the same energy from the characters as well. I'm so grateful that this is the most we ever spend with them for the rest of the series. Sorry if you wanted more hate for them tho. Thanks for reading.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Keeper of Keys, and Hearts of Basically Everyone in the Room</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The room is happy to finally see Harry find out that he's a wizard, though their happiness is a little soured by some other information they find out in this chapter. They also fall in love with Hagrid.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay. I was just busy doing other stuff but I was finally able to get back to this yesterday and update it. Really enjoyed writing this chapter and had a lot of content surprisingly? I've written multiple paras in this one honestly. Fun fact, a semi-long, humourous marauders scene in this chapter was actually one of the first scenes I ever imagined for this series. It wasn't as fleshed out as this one was but it was the basis for that scene.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>“The Keeper of Keys”</b> read Frank.
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b></b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b></b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.</b>
  </b>
</p><p>“Isn’t that how he usually talks?” Sirius asked, grinning.</p><p>
  <b>There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands - now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.</b>
   
</p><p> “What the hell? That’s so unsafe! Was he actually going to use that on one of us?” Emma said gaping. Hagrid would be able to handle it but what if it was some other wizard? And they were caught unaware? There could’ve been serious damage!
   
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you -- I'm armed!"</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>There was a pause. Then --</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>SMASH!</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  
      Everyone cheered.
    
  
</p><p>
  
      “Good old Hagrid,” James said smiling.
    
  
</p><p>
 “Harry is finally meeting a wizard!” Lily said excitedly. The Dursleys wouldn’t able to keep it from him anymore. Harry had to find out that he’s a wizard now.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “You don’t have to be so nice Hagrid,” said Remus fondly. He usually wasn’t this appreciative of the giant but him being the one who came to get Harry was making Remus regard him in an incredibly fond way.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b> The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “A man after my own heart” Frank said with a happy sigh.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Scared Duddlikins?” Alice said smirking. She could understand why a muggle would feel so afraid of meeting a wizard for the first time, but knowing that Hagrid would never do anything to them and that the Dursleys were horrible people, let her feel easy about making jokes like that.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“He’s going to be hearing a lot of that in the future I bet,” Peter said chuckling. He wished there was some way to actually see Harry with his own eyes instead of just hearing about him. He was extremely interested in seeing the boy who sounded so alike his best friend.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p> “Oh, merlin! Stop insulting Vernon Hagrid, or I might just end up falling in love with you,” James said swooning.
    
  
</p><p>
  “Too bad, I beat you there prongsy!” said Sirius playing along. 
    
  
</p><p>
“We’ve got competition Lily,” Emma said in a mock somber tone. Lily nodded sagely for a minute before breaking down in laughter along with the rest of the room.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Anyway -- Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here -- I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Aww. That’s probably the first time that someone did something so nice for him,” Lily said. This was already turning out to be her favorite chapter out of all the ones they had read, granted the others didn’t put up much competition.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Rude much?” Remus snickered.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>The giant chuckled.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Glad to know that that hasn’t changed in 15 years,” Peter said with a wince as he remembered the numerous times that Hagrid had forgotten his own strength and ended up hurting Peter.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  ‘Oh Hagrid, you never change,” Minerva murmured fondly.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Isn’t he not allowed to use magic?” said Alice raising her eyebrow. They all knew that Hagrid had been expelled from Hogwarts after all.
    
  
</p><p>
  “Dumbledore probably gave him permission to use some while getting Harry,’’ replied Frank.
    
  
</p><p>
 <b>The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."</b>
    
  
</p><p>
  “Yeah, don’t Dinky Duddyums. We wouldn’t want you spoiling this moment for Harry,” Emma said annoyed.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>The giant chuckled darkly.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Ain’t that the truth,” James said laughing while the rest of them snickered. Bloody hell, Hagrid was the best!
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts -- yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “No, he doesn’t,” said Lily nastily, as she remembered the reason for that.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Er -- no," said Harry.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>Hagrid looked shocked.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Sorry," Harry said quickly.</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Oh god Harry don’t apologize,” groaned Alice. The poor boy, having no idea about his magical powers but still being punished for them.
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"</b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Maybe he would’ve if he knew, I don’t know, just about anything about his parents.” Sirius spat. His best mate in the whole world’s son probably didn’t even know that he looked just like his dad before that moment. 
    
  
</p><p>
  And Sirius absolutely hated it. Whatever some of the others might say, to him James was genuinely the best man he knew. Sirius would never forget how his friend had been the first person to look past his surname and just seen him, the boy who had wanted nothing more in the world than to prove that he wasn’t like his family.
    
  
</p><p>
 Not only that but when he had finally had enough and ran away from home, it had been James’s house he had gone too first and James had taken him in with open arms, not once asking questions or telling him to go somewhere else but instead just telling Sirius that he was proud of him.
    
  
</p><p>
  And now Sirius could do nothing while James’s son was being treated like this by his relatives. What a way to pay back the Potters for their kindness. It made him <i> sick. <i></i></i>
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>"All what?" asked Harry.</i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"</i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.</i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Good,” Lily muttered darkly. Normally she would never condone any wizard or witch using magic to harm a muggle but she was just about done with her <i> family </i> after the way they treated Harry and abused him mentally and verbally. They deserved to feel a little scared. Merlin knows how many times a young Harry had felt like that. How many times he still felt like that.
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
      "Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy -- this boy! -- knows nothin' abou' -- about ANYTHING?"
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
       Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
       "I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “I... don’t think he meant it like that Harry,” Frank said laughing. Leave it to James Potter’s son to make them laugh during such a tense scene.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
    "What world?"
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
      Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Please do,” Peter muttered under his breath.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
       "DURSLEY!" he boomed.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
    "But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. 
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Why thank you Hagrid,” said James, flipping his non-existent hair and smirking in the rest of the marauders' direction, who all rolled their eyes.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “Oh, please Potter, we all know that you’re only famous for marrying me,’’ Lily said with a smirk that only got bigger when all the marauders except James agreed with her.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
      You're famous."
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
   "What? My -- my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        "Yeh don' know... yeh don' know... " Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
      "Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
     Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        "Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“As if you have any right to forbid Hagrid from doing anything.” Alice sneered.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
       "You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Are you surprised?” Remus asked in a tired tone.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        "Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
      "STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
     Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“God so dramatic.” Emma rolled her eyes.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 Lily nodded. “Even theatre actors aren’t this dramatic,” she muttered. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        "Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry -- yer a wizard."
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Ahhhh! He finally knows!” James cheered.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “And what a journey it was,” Lily said with a sigh. Surely this meant that Harry will be away from the Dursleys now?
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“You know I have to say, it wasn’t nearly this dramatic when I found out I was a witch and my parents had no clue about the magical world!” said Emma with a grin.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “I don’t think anyone’s first letter was this dramatic Emma,” Alice said with a smile. She herself had only found out that she was a witch when she was 9. Both of her muggleborn parents had decided to wait until Alice had shown some trace of magic before telling her about the magical world, and that had only happened at 9 because she had been a bit of a late bloomer. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Her parents had even thought it a possibility that she would end up having no magic whatsoever due to both of them coming from families with no magical blood other than themselves. But in the end, she had shown her magical ability, which would only get stronger in the coming years, and had been sent off to Hogwarts where she would be sorted into her dad’s old house and met so many amazing people, the best of which was, of course, her boyfriend, who was looking at her right now and asking her silently what she was thinking. Alice just shook her head and smiled back as he grinned at her.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"I'm a what?" gasped Harry.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good 'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Ugh Hagrid you can stop now,” groaned Remus, when James was once again looking way too smug.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “You’re just jealous,” James said, sticking his tongue out at Remus. Remus replied in kind by taking the heaviest book from the table and hitting James with it. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Thank god that stays the same,” muttered Lily, although none of them had really doubted that. They had seen him after alive after the war obviously and the thought of Dumbledore just dying due to an illness or old age seemed quite ridiculous honestly.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Dear Mr. Potter,</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.</i></i></i></i></b></b></b></p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.</b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
  <b></b>
</p><p>
 “15 years and that letter remains exactly the same as the ones we got 6 years back,” said Emma amused.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Yours sincerely,</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Minerva McGonagall,</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Deputy Headmistress</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Hey look, Minnie! You’re still there as well,” James said in a delighted tone.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “Yes, thank you for pointing that out Mr. Potter,” McGonagall said slightly sarcastic but James took no notice of it.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “That’s your first question?” Peter asked incredulously.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“You really are one of a kind Harry,’’ Remus said, shaking his head and chuckling.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl -- a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl -- a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Now that’s impressive,” Frank said with a low whistle. He could barely read Hagrid’s handwriting normally and here’s Harry reading it upside down.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Dear Professor Dumbledore,</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Given Harry his letter.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Hagrid</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“But it is,” James said in a confused tone. Frank was nodding along with him.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “Not to muggles,” Alice reminded them. “They don’t use owls to deliver messages you know.”
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“This man is crazy,” Sirius said rolling his eyes. A chorus of ‘yep’, ‘definitely’, ‘no doubt about that mate’, and ‘I’m afraid yes Mr. Black’ rang through the room.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"He's not going," he said.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“And who’s going to stop him? You? I’d like to see you try,’’ Lily spat.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Hagrid grunted.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“You tell him Hagrid,” James said with narrowed eyes.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"A what?" said Harry, interested.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“You don’t know the worst of it,” Alice said furiously, remembering the cupboard.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“What rubbish! Stamp it out it seems. They could’ve seriously damaged Mr. Potter. And the people who would’ve been worst hurt by him if he was threatened so bad would’ve been you and your whole family,” snapped Minerva. It seems that in her anger she had forgotten that she was talking to a book and that Vernon couldn’t actually hear her.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a -- a wizard?"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Dratted,” Lily whispered almost lifelessly. It was weird how after all the insults that she had taken from Tuney and her husband during this book, it was this one word that really hurt her deeply.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Not because it was somehow worse, but because Petunia had been calling her this insult even in her time, even right now and it wasn’t something about their relationship that had obviously gotten worse in the coming years but something about their relationship that had already been broken from that unforgettable day when Sev had first told her that she was a witch. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
There was honestly only one insult from Petunia that would hurt Lily more in this room, the one that every time she heard, always made her feel just as bad as the first time she heard it from her dear sister.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that -- that school -- and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Uh….” Truthfully Alice wanted to ask Lily how she was doing magic in her house when they weren’t allowed to but she could see that Lily wasn’t in the best of moods right now.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“It was at Sev-Severus's house,” Lily said without looking at her. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
She could still remember, back in first year, when Petunia didn’t completely hate her yet, when she was still intrigued enough by Lily’s magic that she agreed to come down to Sev’s home, back when she didn’t spend all her holidays with Severus either in his house so that they could do magic, or in the beautiful gardens that surrounded her house, because even the thought of meeting Severus’s drunk, often insulting father had become a more welcoming thought than going to back to her house to suffer in Petunia’s cold silence or even worse, her harsh insults.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
That was only until last year though, now neither sounded welcoming and Lily had spent the summer of her 6th year feeling more alone than ever before.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>I was the only one who saw her for what she was -- a freak!</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Take a good, hard look in the mirror once in a while, would you?” Frank hissed.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“You’re asking for the impossible there Frank,” said James, glaring at the book ferociously.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
No one seemed to notice the actual person they were all defending ironically, was shrinking into herself, looking miserable.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"
            
          
        
      </b>
    
  
</p><p>“As they should,” Peter snapped.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Of course she had,” Alice said with a bitter laugh. “Doesn’t matter that you’re ranting about your dead sister and in front of her son who’s never even heard about her before! No why would you bother about something as trivial as your nephew’s feelings?” she finished in a disgusted tone.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  Lily meanwhile wondered whether Petunia had wanted to say something like this to Lily for years, even now, but then Lily had died and she had waited another 10 years to finally say this to Harry, the closest living link to Lily beside herself. It made her want to puke.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as -- as -- abnormal </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“There is nothing wrong with Lily or Harry or any of us. The only abnormal people here are you and your family because you aren’t people at all,” James said icily. Then for some reason, he turned and glared right at Remus, who had a weird look on his face while James was speaking.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  Remus blushed at being found out so easily and looked away from James’s glare. He of course agreed with what James said about Lily and Harry but he could help but feel doubtful at the comment of there being nothing wrong with anyone in this room. There was plenty wrong with Remus, none of which his friends wished to acknowledge but that didn’t erase his flaws.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
   He did not doubt that at this moment James was preparing another speech to lecture Remus with that was remarkably similar to the one he had just said. He quickly looked down to stare at the floor when even Sirius and Peter seemed to be trying to catch his eye.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>-- and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Got herself? Is this woman that stupid or is she pretending?” asked Frank angrily.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “Her sister died to save the wizarding world. You’d think she’d be proud,” Peter said sneering.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Are you kidding me? That’s the absolute worst way to find out how your parents died!” Emma really should stop getting surprised at Harry’s sad life.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “That’s what we want to know as well,’’ Remus muttered. Yeah, they had gotten one version of it in the first chapter, but that version really didn’t make sense. Seriously You Know Who was defeated by a baby after already killing 2 powerful wizards? How is that even possible? Maybe they had somehow gotten a better answer in 10 years.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh -- but someone's gotta -- yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Thank you, Hagrid. At least someone cares about Harry,” Lily nodded in approval.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh -- mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Still? It’s been some 10 years, hasn’t it? And they still don’t know exactly what happened that day,” Frank asked concerned.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with -- with a person called -- but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows--"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>“The muggleborns don’t. Not at first,” Emma pointed out. It had taken her some time to realize just how seriously everyone seemed to take not saying the name and even longer to actually know his real name, Voldemort, even though she had asked around a lot simply because no one was willing to tell her. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  She had finally found out his name by the end of her third year when he was getting really powerful and Hogwarts could no longer ignore the war that was happening and Professor Dumbledore had given a speech about the war and which side they should choose to fight on, and that had been the first time she had ever heard Voldemort’s name.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Who?"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Well -- I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Why not?"</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 The whole room thought about how much You Know Who had affected their lives and their world, and how much damage he had done to everyone, and how all that death and destruction and war could’ve never happened if had never tried to take over their world. It was horrifying how one person could cause this much sadness.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i> His name was..."</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Nah -- can't spell it. All right -- Voldemort."</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
Everyone, except James. Sirius, Remus, Emma, and Lily winced. James didn’t because he had promised himself in the first chapter to start calling him Voldemort all the time. Sirius didn’t because to him Voldy was just as bad as his family and he’d be damned if he’d ever fear his family, plus his mother had forbidden him from saying Voldemort’s name, telling him to call him the Dark Lord and he just liked pissing off his dear old mum. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  Remus didn’t because he simply didn’t understand what not saying Voldemort’s name was supposed to, I mean he’d kill you anyway if he wanted to, and because the only one he truly feared in this world was himself. And Lily and Emma didn’t because they were muggleborns so they hadn’t been taught that same fear since a young age and both didn’t call him You Know Who for different reasons.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Lily because she thought it was silly and disrespectful to the people he had killed, not to be brave enough even to call their murderer by his name and Emma because she just thought the whole thing was stupid and just like Remus, thought it was in waste.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this -- this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too -- some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... terrible things happened. He was takin' over. </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  They all shuddered at the reminder of the hell that they were experiencing right now. Reading these books had given them a slight respite from their terrible reality but Hagrid narrating how those days were, how the war that had been present for the past 7 years was, really gave them the harsh reminder that just because the future was relatively safe, doesn’t mean they won’t have to go through hell to get to that point.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>'Course, some stood up to him -- an' he killed 'em. Horribly. </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
There was a tense atmosphere in the room again at the reminder that it was entirely possible that Lily and James hadn’t been the only casualties of the war from this room. They’d all been clinging to the hope that nothing had happened to anyone else in this room or outside that they were friends with, just because they hadn’t gotten any confirmation yet, but they knew that that hope was futile because now that Harry was finally learning about the magical world, they’d find out more about what happened in the war. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
And not only was that terrifying to think about, but there were also already some suspicious gaps in Harry’s home life. Like how neither the Potters nor the Evans seemed to be an option to be Harry’s guardians. And how if Sirius could, he would’ve already come to take Harry away from his relatives. Or at least visited him often and been a source of comfort for a boy that desperately needed it. Same with Remus and Peter. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 And even if Sirius couldn’t come for whatever reason, Emma would’ve been sure to come in his place. Even Alice and Frank would’ve visited once in a while, yet there was no mention of them. It was eating away at them all.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “That’s one good thing at least,” McGonagall said with a sigh of relief. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel if she had to hear about her beloved school having been attacked sometime in the future, or that god forbid, some of her students had been hurt or worse.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day!</i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Head boy?” said James blankly, without comprehending. “Head boy??” Lily was of course the best choice, she had been a brilliant prefect after all, but him? How was it not Remus? How was it him? Bloody hell even Peter would make more sense!
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  But then it suddenly seemed to dawn on him that he would actually be the head boy next year and he whipped his head around and, pointing a finger at McGonagall, said, “Minnie! This must be your doing! You’re going to suggest me to Dumbledore, right? Well rest easy, cause I’ll be the best head boy you’ve ever seen,” he said beaming at her.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “That’s a nice sentiment Mr. Potter but rest assured that I wouldn’t do something as ridiculous as nominate you for the head boy post,” she replied, although the look of fear on her face when she found out that he would be head boy, because she was thinking of all the mayhem he would cause with a full reign of Hogwarts, lessened.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
She could now understand a little why she would suggest him as Head Boy, because who else would really, because even if it might enable him to cause the ultimate trouble in his 7th year, it could also have the opposite effect of reigning him in and maturing him a little. 
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 It was truly high-risk high reward but if it did have the effect she was hoping for then maybe he could influence his whole band- she was interrupted in her thoughts by a loud scream.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  Sirius was pointing a finger at James with an extremely dramatic look on his face. “Traitor!” he cried out, “You damn traitor! Head Boy really? That’s even worse than Prefect. I was barely recovering from the shame that was Remus becoming a prefect and now you pull this? And it isn’t even just in your 7th year! You’re already ready to be a good little prefect, aren’t you? Oh, where did I go wrong?” he said, putting his head in his hands and looking as if his whole family had just been wiped out.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Peter did the smart thing then and joined Sirius. “They’ve forsaken us Padfoot! The world’s full of traitors and backstabbers but still I never thought that 2 of our own would end up going to the dark side,” he said, mock sobbing, “There’s no one we can trust in this world pads, other than each other.” And with that, they both hugged and cried.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 James and Remus then did the mature thing by flipping their nonexistent long hair and blowing a kiss, in sync, to Peter and Sirius.
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
McGonagall sighed as she witnessed the antics of her four most troublesome lions. Maybe she was being too hopeful, thinking they might finally grow up next year. <i> Then again, </i>she thought with a fond smile on her face,<i> would I really want them to change who they are? </i> As she looked around at the rest of our students who had all been so serious and tense minutes ago, and were now rolling on the floor laughing, her mind replied, <i> not really. <i></i></i>
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Of course we wouldn’t want anything to do with that!” Lily said fiercely, while James nodded.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “Anyone who thinks they do is the stupidest person in the world,” Frank said with a small chuckle.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “He can’t be that stupid right?” asked Remus worried. Not for Voldemort of course. But what would it say about them if they were almost completely defeated by a guy that stupid?
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“That’s more likely,” Alice said extremely quietly. If that had been his goal, he had succeeded. At a heavy price, but the price they had to pay was higher.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' -- an'--"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Halloween,” James whispered. That had only been a month back and James had thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the few bright spots every year during the war. He had always loved Halloween. It was right up there with Christmas for his favorite holiday. He didn’t think he could ever enjoy Halloween again like before.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“James?” Sirius whispered, “You okay mate?”
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 James wanted to laugh. Okay? He just found out the exact day that 4 years from now he would die on along with the girl he had been in love with since 1st year, orphaning his 1-year-old son who’d go on to have a shitty childhood because James wasn’t alive to give him a good one.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 He was so far from okay right now. Instead, he just nodded. It didn’t seem to be very convincing based on Pad’s doubtful stare, but thankfully he let it drop.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad -- knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -- anyway...</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Aww Hagrid,” cooed Lily sadly. It really made her wonder just how many people had paused for a minute during their celebrations and remembered that their victory had come at a high price for some. At the cost of a young wizard and witch with their whole lives ahead of them, and a 1-year-old baby being orphaned, so young that he wouldn’t even remember his short time with his parents. Probably not many, but she knew some who would and she was filled with affection for all of them.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then -- an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing -- he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “I could see that,” Remus whispered darkly. Even if he might not fear Voldemort necessarily like the rest, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care what the creature was doing to the whole world. And that wasn’t enough but he had to come after Remus’s friends? No way in hell will that go without retribution.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh -- took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even -- but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “So that’s still everyone’s explanation for the most surprising thing to ever happen in our history? We don’t know?” Frank asked with slight exasperation. Really, he could understand if they had tried everything possible to try to understand what happened that Halloween night but they hadn’t even tried to check Harry to see if they could find out something from him. 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Of course, Frank didn’t want Harry to become an experiment subject or something but it wouldn’t hurt to run a few tests at least. The curious part of Frank was disappointed that no one else in the future seemed to be interested in finding out the truth while the more emotional part was moaning about the missed opportunity of coming and seeing Harry’s bad living conditions and taking him away while also getting the tests done to figure out the root of this special case.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age -- the McKinnons,</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
Lily gasped. “No! Not Marlene, oh my god…” she continued saying in between sobs. How was it fair that not only did she die but so did her best friend? 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Sirius paled at hearing about his ex-girlfriend’s death. Even though he’d never really romantically liked her, he had treasured her as a great friend. After all, it had only been because of her advice that he’d not only stopped being a prat to Emma and gotten together with her but also stopped being a prat in general. And to hear about her future death in such a casual way… 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  The room once again adopted the somber tone it had when James and Lily’s deaths had been revealed. The Marauders were all trying to comfort Sirius but couldn’t seem to really stop crying themselves while Emma was immediately at Sirius’s side and was trying to console him but words didn’t seem to be able to come out of her mouth.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Alice was meanwhile trying to comfort Lily, although she was crying just as much as Lily. Finally, Frank came to get her, teary-eyed and led her back to her seat. If anyone had even bothered to look at McGonagall this entire time, they would’ve even seen tears streaming down her face. But she couldn’t help it. She hated hearing about her students die before her, even though it was happening more and more these days.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “God Dorcas...” Alice finally whispered after she managed to calm down somewhat. Immediately she regretted it when everyone became even sadder, including her. They all knew how much Dorcas loved Marlene and vice versa. Even if they had broken up in the future it would still break Dorcas completely. This war really took everything from them.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i> the Bones,</i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></b></b></b></p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>“Edgar. Or Amelia. Or Jamie. Or all of them,” James said emotionlessly. The Bones siblings, the most popular kids of their years, murdered because they fought for good. 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
Emma silently took a notebook and pen that had appeared on the table and wrote down these names.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>the Prewetts </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Fabian and Gideon as well?” asked Frank shocked. But they’d always been so good at dueling! The best Hogwarts had seen in many years, people had said.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “Just goes to show’’ Remus whispered. “Wait! Molly- their sister- did she also...?” They had said Prewetts after all. And Fab and Gid were always talking about their older sister.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  "Don’t worry Mr. Lupin, Molly married Arthur so she would be known as Mrs. Weasley, not Miss. Prewett.” Minerva said comfortingly, but it wasn’t really that much better because they knew now that Molly would have to lose both of her brothers at the same time.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>-- an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before -- and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 They shuddered. Thank merlin none of them had ever heard it before but just thinking about it sent shivers down their spine.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Hagrid was watching him sadly.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Oh, bugger off man.” Peter groaned. They’d learned enough this chapter that no one even seemed to have the energy to insult the Dursleys. 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “I am going to kill that man,” said Lily in a deathly calm tone.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “Miss. Evans please remember that you cannot commit homicide,” McGonagall said with a slightly concerned glance at the girl. 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>-- and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “And what is your opinion worth? Absolutely nothing” Sirius said seething.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “To tell a child who doesn’t know his parents that the world is better off without them,” Frank spat, disgusted.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>-- asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types -- just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end--"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “This- this man, no creature, doesn’t deserve to even say James and Lily’s names,” Emma said, looking for the first time truly angry.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley -- I'm warning you -- one more word..."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Hagrid, you lovable giant,” sighed James with what can only be described as a loving look on his face.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “I wish you’d do that permanently,” Remus glared.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.</i></i></i></i></i></i></i></i></b></b></b></p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p><b><b><b><i><i><i>Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                
              
            
          
        
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Of course you do,” Lily said fondly. She had felt the same way when she finally decided to give Severus a chance and had gone to talk to him, and came back from the meeting convinced that she was a witch like he said and curious to know everything about the magical world.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"But what happened to Vol-, sorry -- I mean, You-Know-Who?"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“So, he didn’t die?” Peter asked scared and disappointed. If the war only lasted 4 more years then Peter could do that, he could survive for 4 more years somehow. But if You Know Who came back? He would surely die. That is if he hasn’t already in the future.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... he was gettin' more an' more powerful -- why'd he go?</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“If he was severely weakened then of course the spells would be lifted. Doesn’t mean he can’t be strengthened and return to power” Frank said in a scared whisper.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
They all looked at each other for a minute. Could Voldemort really be coming back again even after being defeated once? They hadn’t even defeated him once yet so the idea of having to do it twice was terrifying.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“Look we don’t know what happened to Voldemort ok. So, there’s no telling if he can come back or not. So, there’s no point getting scared about that now when we probably won’t find out the answer to our question during these books.” Lily finally said.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
They all nodded and went back to reading the book but none of them could quite get the thought out of their heads.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on -- I dunno what it was, no one does -- but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Which I really want to know more about,’’ Remus muttered.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “That’s not how magic works Harry dearest,” Sirius snickered.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it... every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry... chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach... dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back... and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Yes, you did, and I’ve never been prouder of you son,” James said with a beaming smile that turned quickly into a pout when Sirius said, “Merlin you’re such an embarrassing dad.”
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard -- you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Oh, for merlin’s sake man just give up” Alice groaned.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish -- spell books and wands and--"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “That’s definitely true,” Lily said smiling at everyone in the room, even the marauders.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled--"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Oh, he’s done it now,” Sirius said with glee.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“Hagrid isn’t going to let that pass,” Emma agreed.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER -- " he thundered, " -- INSULT -- ALBUS -- DUMBLEDORE -- IN -- FRONT -- OF -- ME!"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley -- there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>There was a moment of silence before everyone was on the floor laughing. It took even more time than before for them to recover.</p><p>“I’m- I’m sorry Em, but I think I might just love Hagrid more,” Sirius said, still slightly laughing.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “I don’t blame you. I feel the same way Sirius,” Emma said, an amused smirk on her face. Of course, much later in the night, they would both realize that they had never even implied that they loved each other before but that was later in the night. Right now though, they were still laughing at Dudley’s misfortune.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “Finally!” Lily said quite happily.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Hagrid” Minerva shook her head. No, Hagrid really would never change.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm -- er -- not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff -- one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“The other was because he really wanted to see Harry,” Peter said with a grin. No matter how much time passed, Hagrid would always remain just as predictable as ever.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Oh, well -- I was at Hogwarts meself but I -- er -- got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  “That’s true,” Remus said so quietly that no one else could hear. He knew exactly how Hagrid must feel towards Dumbledore because he felt the same way.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"Why were you expelled?"</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Don’t bother Harry. He never tells,” James said with a tired sigh.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“You’ve asked?” Lily questioned with a raised eyebrow.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “Multiple times,” Sirius confirmed.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p> “Well maybe if you two weren’t so rude when you ask,” said Remus rolling his eyes. 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
“Ahh... Diagon Alley,” said Emma with a nostalgic smile on her face as she remembered the first-ever time she went there.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <b>
      <b>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' doormice in one o' the pockets."</i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </b>
    </b>
  </b>
</p><p>
 “Classic Hagrid” Alice smiled.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “That the end of the chapter guys,” Frank said.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “Wow, ok. That was…” Lily struggled to find the right word.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “Informative,” finished James.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 “That’s one word for it,” Peter muttered.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 No one looked eager to start this chapter, even though it would mean Harry’s first trip to Diagon Alley probably.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
“Before we begin the next chapter, maybe we should all eat lunch?” McGonagall suggested seeing the weary state of her students.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Sirius said smiling again. “Let’s eat first. After all, it is a bad omen to read about the future on an empty stomach,”
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
  “It is not,” Emma protested but agreed that they should eat lunch now.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
With the matter settled, they all called house elves to the room, who brought tasty, fresh food with them. They talked during the break about the future and the books but were careful not to talk about any of the deaths or about any stuff that would upset them.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 Most of the break was spent just insulting the Dursleys and making various threats toward them. A significant amount of time was also spent apricating their gamekeeper. Finally, the break was over and they all returned to their seats. 
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p>
 Lily decided to read the next chapter because if there’s one chapter she wanted to read from this book, it’s the one where her son goes to Diagon Alley for the first time.
                    
                  
                
              
            
          
        
      
    
  
</p><p><b>“Diagon Alley”</b> she read out loud.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So that was officially my longest chapter yet. Hope you enjoyed it! Btw another tidbit from my head, I got weirdly interested in Alice's parents who I mentioned in this chapter and ended up making a really detailed headcanon for them but I'm not going to bore you with those details. What I am going to mention is that Alice's dad was in Hufflepuff and her mom was in Gryffindor, mainly because that meant 3 generations of Hufflepuff-Gryffindor marriages: Alice's parents, Alice and frank and Neville and Hannah. Idk why but that's really interesting to me. Also, yes I put Dorcas and Marlene together in this fic. If anyone has a problem with that cause they think 2 girls shouldn't be together, I really don't care. If you just don't ship them, sorry I do but it's just a mention so can ignore that if you like.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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